Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has raised concerns over the use of official function on religious lines by Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya, sworn in as the 18th Governor of the state in July 2014 by the new BJP government. NPCC said after Acharya assumed office, it expected that he would shed off “his earlier RSS upbringing and mindset, to uphold the sanctity and dignity” of the office.
However, NPCC expressed shock, that during Republic Day function (at Raj Bhavan) the Governor published a handout on religious lines depicting “Bharat Mata” standing on a ‘Lotus’ and holding the tricolour with the country’s map as background. It said at a time when the country was faced with onslaught of the RSS-led communal forces, the “needless action” of the Governor was “perhaps an ominous sign of greater agenda espoused by the BJP-RSS combine, being unfolded to change the secular fabric of the nation”.
NPCC mentioned that India as a country, absorbed different culture, race and religions which survived countless invasions over thousands of years and thrived and coexisted due to the magnanimity of the majority Hindus whose concept of religion (Hinduism) as “more of a way of life”. However, it said the “national personification of India as mother goddess called Bharat Mata” as the amalgam of all goddesses of Indian culture and more significantly on goddess Durga revered and followed only by the majority Hindus” but all other religious minorities though respecting “Bharat Mata’ do not “subscribe to this personification.”
NPCC pointed out that since Nagaland became the 16th state on December 1,1963 majority of Governors had been Hindus but all of them performed their constitutional duties without giving religious colours to any official programme/function. In addition, it said Nagaland has never witnessed any religious clashes or tensions as mutual respect had always been a defining feature of people who are pre-dominantly Christians.
NPCC reminded the BJP government at the centre, about how Nagaland was borne out of immense political strife its people having paid a heavy price for a political struggle that happened nowhere else in the country.
It said the “provocative display of religious symbol on an official handout, has generated much apprehension” among people as it was taken as a “step towards imposition of BJP-RSS hidden agenda” having no place for religious minorities and oppressed castes on their idea of nationhood.
NPCC reminded “the parting remark of US president Barack Obama” during his recent visit, where he called for “religious tolerance” if India wanted to succeed at the world stage. He said this was a reminder for the BJP to rein in its supporters associated with RSS and affiliates on religious extremists in turning BJP’s ‘Aache din’ into nightmare for religious minorities.
NPCC strongly urged upon the Governor to “refrain from abusing his constitutional position”in portraying his beliefs at official platforms as it amounted to “total disregard for religious sentiments of majority people in the state” and also went against the secular ideals as enshrined in the constitution.
Friday, February 20, 2026