Home Minister Mama Natung has defended the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, stating that it is not directed against any particular religion but aims to ensure the protection of all religious beliefs in the state. Speaking at a state-level BJP workshop on Saturday, held under the ‘Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samman Abhiyan-2025’ at the party’s headquarters, Natung said the Act has been misunderstood by certain groups due to a lack of proper awareness. He clarified that the rules for implementing the Act are being drafted as per the high court’s instructions and assured that while the Act will not be repealed, it will be revised in a way that serves the best interests of the people.
Natung also reflected on the legacy of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, highlighting his foundational role in drafting the Indian Constitution and shaping the nation’s democratic values. Criticizing the Congress party, Natung accused it of spreading misinformation by claiming that the BJP is against the Constitution. He insisted that it is the BJP that has always upheld the Constitution, while the Congress allegedly used it for political gain. He encouraged BJP members to educate people at the grassroots about the Act and expose what he called Congress’ misleading tactics, especially in how it treated Ambedkar’s legacy.
State BJP president Kaling Moyong also honored Dr Ambedkar’s memory, calling him the principal architect of the Constitution and a staunch advocate for the marginalized. He expressed disappointment that Ambedkar was neglected and disrespected by the Congress, both during his lifetime and after. Moyong spoke about the 10-day long Samman Abhiyan campaign being held from April 14 to 25, which includes district and booth-level events to raise awareness and celebrate Ambedkar’s contributions.
Moyong further expressed support for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, calling it a game-changing reform for the country. He urged BJP members to inform citizens about the concept and build grassroots-level support for the initiative.
State BJP general secretary Tadar Niglar, during his presentation titled ‘From Neglect to Reverence: Betrayal by Congress, Honour by BJP’, emphasized how the Congress party failed to give due respect to Ambedkar, while the BJP has actively worked to highlight and uphold his principles. National resource person Arun Halder also spoke on ‘BJP vs Congress: A Tale of Constitutional Integrity vs Constitutional Sabotage’, revisiting historical events from the Emergency to current debates on reservation. He accused the Congress of weakening constitutional values through manipulative amendments, contrasting this with the BJP’s efforts to strengthen democracy and social justice through schemes like kalyan samman and pratinidhitva empowerment.
The workshop also featured speeches from BJP Kisan Morcha state president Gumsen Lollen, Samman Abhiyan member Taying Shakuntala, MLA Mutchu Mithi, former minister Taba Tedir, and other senior party leaders and workers.
