The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has condemned what it calls the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ “last-minute, selective relaxation” of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) for the Hornbill Festival, alleging that the move “exposes the BJP government’s discriminatory agenda and its use of state machinery for religious exclusion.”
In a statement issued by its Communication Department, the NPCC said the MHA’s action “reveals two undeniable truths.”
According to the NPCC, the first is that “the PAP is a political tool, not a security imperative,” arguing that “the ability to relax it for tourists proves that its initial use to block Rev. Franklin Graham was a deliberate act of religious discrimination against a prominent Christian leader.”
The party further stated that it is “a profound betrayal that the MHA has chosen to stage a cosmetic concession for tourists while adamantly upholding the discriminatory visa ban against Rev. Graham.” Stating that the decision, “made despite repeated requests from its own NDA ally in the state, a blatant sign of disrespect,” the NPCC alleged that it “exposes the BJP’s contempt for the Christian faith and is a deliberate slap in the face to every citizen of Nagaland.”
The NPCC added that it “will not allow this grave assault on our religious freedom and political dignity to be whitewashed by a cynical, last-minute procedural tweak,” and said it remains committed to “fighting for the constitutional rights and self-respect of the Naga people.”
The statement was issued by the Communication Department of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee.