Meghalaya BJP condemns attempts to disrupt Christmas, says don’t politicise them

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya building block of the Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) on fri demanded the harshest penalty for those attempting to disrupt yule celebrations in several parts of the country, asserting that such incidents go against India’s civilisational values and the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom.Meghalaya BJP chief spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang’s statement comes against the backdrop of opposition parties raising concerns over attacks on Christians in the run-up to the festival in Assam, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.“Christmas is a festival that celebrates the bond of love which unites every living being on Earth. It is cherished by Indians across communities, irrespective of caste, creed or religion,” Kharkrang said in a statement, criticising what he said was an attempt to politicise these isolated episodes.Several Opposition leaders on December 25 expressed concern over reports of attacks on minorities in several locations such as the incident of a BJP leader’s assault of a visually impaired woman in Jabalpur over suspicion that she was promoting conversion ahead of Christmas.Kharkrang said it was only a “handful of individuals” who were trying to undermine the spirit of a festival rooted in love, unity and goodwill, and condemned the “deplorable” acts.Kharkrang said attempts to disturb the festive atmosphere amounted to an assault on the core values of Indian civilisation.“Such actions attack every principle we hold dear and unfairly paint the entire nation in a negative hue,” he said.He also rejected Opposition efforts to project the incidents as organised political actions, saying some parties were using isolated criminal acts for narrow political gains.“The Honourable Prime Minister himself, along with senior party leaders, participates in Christmas services year after year, including in 2025. This is the example that inspires every BJP worker,” Kharkrang said, challenging rival parties to demonstrate similar inter-faith participation by their leadership.“Those attempting to extract political mileage must explain how many of their non-Christian leaders publicly participate in Christmas celebrations,” he added.Kharkrang said protecting the right of every citizen to celebrate festivals freely was “non-negotiable” and demanded that those responsible for recent incidents be “arrested, tried and punished under the strictest provisions of law”.He added that leaders and office-bearers of BJP Meghalaya were in touch with party units in states where the incidents occurred “to ensure that not a single individual involved in such acts evades accountability”.