Kohima: It is not often that the Bharatiya Janata Party issues an unconditional apology to anyone. So, it came as a surprise when the Nagaland BJP, during its national president JP Nadda’s visit to the state, expressed “deepest regrets” and apologised to the Kohima Ao Baptist Arogo (KABA), the Ao Baptist Church in Kohima.
But what made the BJP state unit apologise so profusely to the church?
Reliable sources from the BJP, on the condition of anonymity, told EastMojo that during the 2-day visit of Nadda, the party chief had expressed his desire to visit at least two churches and seek blessings.
So, before the visit, the state BJP officials approached the Kohima Cathedral and KABA. While the Cathedral consented to open its door for the BJP leader, due to ongoing church events at KABA, the church leaders had expressed their “difficulty”. However, a draft itinerary which mentioned the name of the Church was leaked.
“In the first itinerary list, the state officials approached KABA for the national president to visit and seek prayer in the church but since they were preoccupied with ongoing church activities, they expressed their difficulty. So we came up with a revised itinerary. However, the first itinerary which contained the name of the church was leaked at the North East level,” the source told EastMojo.
The party source said following this, the church leaders wrote a letter to the party asking for clarification why the name of the church was mentioned in one itinerary and then removed in the other.
“They didn’t like it because their name was there. So we issued a corrigendum in this regard,” the source said, further adding that the party is making efforts to trace the origin of the information being leaked.
In the statement, the party said that it had no “ill intention to drag the good name of KABA” and that it acknowledges and respects the sentiment of the Church for declining their request as they had a very genuine reason–the Church being preoccupied with other events.
It assured to take all due corrective measures in case such scruples or misgivings take place again in the future.
The party source informed that Nadda, who arrived in the state on Thursday, along with party workers visited the Cathedral on Friday morning. “The staff took us around and explained about the artefacts during the 30-minute visit,” the source added.
When contacted, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) General Secretary Reverend Zelhou Keyho said that without confirmation, the party must have included the name of the church in the itinerary which got leaked.
“But since they apologised, the matter rests there. We try to avoid bringing in political parties unless it is for the clean election campaign,” he said. He added it is a good thing that the party has apologized.
Sharing his view on if the political parties should be allowed to visit churches, the church leader said “Personally, political parties should not use the church as a platform to spread its agenda and manifesto. It will be good to maintain the sanctity of the church and at the same also not put any political party in an uncomfortable situation”.
Earlier, the party said that it had no knowledge of how the first itinerary was leaked and got featured on various social media platforms and printed media, as it has already issued the revised itinerary of the National President’s visit.
“We sincerely beg due forgiveness from Kohima Ao Baptist Arogo for the inconveniences created by unscrupulous elements to defame both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Church,” it added.
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