ITANAGAR, 6 Mar: The state Congress party on Thursday said that the BJP government in the state has been ineffective in handling the ongoing socio-religious and cultural tensions in the state arising out of the government’s recent announcement to reviveand implement the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978 after 46 years of dormancy.
“The BJP-led state government should call for a dialogue between the government, the ACF and other stakeholders to resolve the issue amicably and find a mutually acceptable solution,” the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) said in a release.
The APCC expressed apprehension that the current situation may escalate and lead to “worst socio-cultural and religious conflicts among the various tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh.”
“The BJP government should use its wisdom and should be very careful in handling the APFRA, 1978 issue. The general masses of the state apprehend that there must be a hidden agenda of the BJP government in the state and fear the future of the state under BJP is fragile, dark and directionless. The state BJP government is being criticised for its mishandling of the issue and its alleged attempts to restrict religious freedom to some sections of the societies in the state. As a matter of fact, the revival of the APFRA, 1978 and its implementation with new rules after 46 years of its dormancy, which the ACF claims will restrict their religious freedom, is irrelevant and unnecessary.
“Therefore the state BJP government should rethink its intention and plans to implement the Act with newly-framed rules. People cannot be divided on the basis of religion and culture, as well as politics.
The government should maintain its neutrality and hear all the aggrieved sections and should be able to convince them for mutual understanding, harmony and coexistence,” the APCC statement read.
