The Nagaland BJP has expressed its “deepest regrets” to the Kohima Ao Baptist Church for the “inadvertent leak” of its “first itinerary” announcing that party president J.P. Nadda would visit the church on Friday morning although the Church had declined the party’s request citing preoccupation.
Nagaland is a Christian-dominated state and the Church wields considerable influence over the population, just as it does in Mizoram and Meghalaya. The BJP has been “working hard” to expand its footprint in these northeastern states that are ruled by well-entrenched regional parties. All three states go to the polls in 2023.
The Nagaland BJP unit, in a “corrigendum” issued on Thursday night, said: “The Bharatiya Janata Party Nagaland state sincerely conveys our deepest regrets to the ‘Kohima Ao Baptist Arogo’ (KABA) for the inadvertent leak of the first itinerary that had made a mention that Shri J.P. Naddaji will be visiting KABA during his maiden visit to the state of Nagaland.”
The state BJP added: “It is further to state that we have no such ill intention to drag the good name of KABA; and we sincerely acknowledge and respect the sentiment of the Church for declining our request, the reason being very genuine as the Church is already preoccupied with other programmes.”
“Yet, we assure you that we shall take corrective measures, in case such scruples or misgivings take place in the future. 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,” the state BJP added.
The party conveyed to the Church that it had “no knowledge” of how the first itinerary got leaked and “got featured in various social media platforms and the printed media” even though a revised itinerary of Nadda’s maiden visit to the state was issued.
The tone of the corrigendum reflected the unease and concern in the Nagaland BJP over the development.
The trigger, sources told The Telegraph on Friday, was the Church’s objection to media reports about Nadda’s impending visit to the KABA, established in the 1930s, when it had “politely” expressed its inability “to give time” to him on Friday morning because it would be busy preparing for a prayer programme — Healing Crusade. The event, planned a year ago, involves a turnout of 5,000-6,000 people from Friday evening to Sunday.
State BJP representatives had approached the Church on Monday. However, reports of Nadda’s proposed visit to two Churches, including the KABA, appeared on Thursday, leaving the KABA “surprised” as it had “clearly explained its situation”, the sources said.
Nadda paid a visit to the Cathedral Church of Kohima on Friday morning accompanied by state leaders. The Cathedral Church is around 2.5km from the Baptist Church.
The BJP chief began his Nagaland visit on Thursday with a massive rally in Wokha district followed by meetings with leaders and workers of his party and those of ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) that heads the Opposition-less state government. On Friday, Nadda participated in an autorickshaw rally in Chumukedima near Dimapur and then met core committee members of the state BJP over strategies to ensure the party’s victory in the upcoming elections.
On Thursday, after addressing the public rally in Wokha, Nadda held a meeting with party karyakartas in Kohima, urging them to work unitedly.
The meeting with BJP and NDPP leaders was focused “on ways to strengthen the alliance and bring a positive change in the state”. The two-day visit ended on Friday.