Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) highlighted the ongoing ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ (Save the Constitution) campaign being held across the country from April 25 to 30.
Addressing the media after a rally at the NPCC office on Monday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in-charge of Nagaland, Christopher Tilak, said the rally was initiated by the AICC to safeguard the Constitution. He stated that the campaign aimed to educate young voters about the evolution of the Constitution, the rights it guarantees, and the Congress party’s historic role in upholding constitutional values.
Tilak alleged that the Constitution was under serious threat from the BJP, ideologically driven by the RSS. He claimed the RSS, founded in 1925, was rooted in establishing a “Hindu Rashtra” based on Manusmriti principles and asserted that the RSS was never part of the Indian freedom struggle.
Rather, he alleged that RSS had aligned with itself with the British interest during the colonial period. Referring to the situation in Manipur, Tilak accused the BJP of gross violations of Constitutional norms, particularly in the North Eastern states.
He alleged that democratic institutions in Manipur had been systematically eroded and that governance was now effectively handled by the Union Home Minister under the pretext of President’s Rule. He further alleged that similar constitutional violations were occurring in Nagaland and other states in the region.
Tilak said the Congress party would continue its efforts to re-educate, agitate, and mobilise people on the importance of protecting the Constitution, and that the campaign would be expanded to district and constituency levels through door-to-door outreach wherever possible.
NPCC working president Apok Jamir also addressed the press, stating that the current political scenario reflected a direct assault on constitutional principles. He alleged that the BJP-led government was dismantling the Constitution “brick by brick,” and cited instances where enforcement agencies such as the ED were being misused to politically target senior Congress leaders.
Apok said the Congress remained committed to defending the rights of citizens and would continue to agitate and raise awareness to safeguard constitutional values and democracy.
NPCC president and Lok Sabha MP Supongmeren Jamir, in his remarks, alleged that the BJP was ruling the country under the ideological shadow of the RSS. He claimed that even older religions, including Hinduism itself, opposed RSS ideology.
Supongmeren further alleged that the BJP was systematically working toward dismantling the Constitution through initiatives such as “One Nation, One Election,” “One Nation, One Language,” and “One Nation, One Religion.”
He said the introduction of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was another measure aimed at eroding India’s secular framework, affecting personal laws concerning marriage, divorce, and inheritance across different religious communities. He also alleged that recent legislative measures had begun infringing upon religious institutions and minority rights.
Highlighting local concerns, Supongmeren pointed to the April 13 transfer and posting order of IAS and NCS officials issued on a Sunday, which he claimed reflected RSS influence within Nagaland’s state administration.
He said the NPCC had submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary demanding a corrigendum on the date of the order but had yet to receive a response. Supongmeren asserted that the Congress would continue to fight for the rights of the people and defend the sanctity of Christianity in Nagaland.
He emphasised that while the Congress respected all religions, it would strongly oppose any move that undermined Christian sentiments. NPCC vice president G.K. Zhimomi also addressed the press, appealing to the people of Nagaland not to fall for what he termed the “false and cheap political propaganda” of the BJP.
The NPCC leaders reiterated their commitment to upholding constitutional values and called on citizens to remain vigilant against any actions that threaten India’s democratic foundations.