BJP Mizoram Pradesh on Wednesday asked the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) to step out of the NDA alliance if the party is not on an equal term with the saffron party.

The BJP’s demand follows Chief Minister and MNF president Zoramthanga’s remarks that his party is against the BJP’s ideologies and that it will continue to oppose the saffron party in term of principles and ideologies.

MNF is the constituent member of the BJP led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). However, the regional party did not work with the saffron party in Mizoram.

State BJP president Vanlalhmuaka told a news conference on Wednesday that his party has taken the chief minister’s comment seriously because it could undermine the BJP-MNF alliance.

He said that during a discussion on private member resolution related to “religious freedom” in the state assembly on Friday (February 21), Zoramthanga had said that the MNF like others did not find the BJP as a good party.

The chief minister also had said that the MNF did not support the BJP agenda and was fighting against the saffron because of its certain principles which are unacceptable for the Mizo people.

He said that the chief minister’s remarks were a serious matter that should not be spoken of by the NEDA member.

“We suggest the chief minister and his party to pull-out from NEDA if he finds that the BJP and MNF are ideologically antagonistic to each other and that the saffron party is anti-Christian and not good for the Mizo people,” Vanlalhmuaka said.

The BJP president also accused the state Congress of misleading the people on the reservation issue.

He said that the party was misinformed about the Supreme Court ruling on reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

“The congress was misleading the people when it said that the BJP is against the reservation,” he said.

Vanlalhmuaka also blamed Congress president and former chief minister Lal Thanhawla for levelling an allegation that the BJP government at the Centre will lift the ILP regime in the Northeast.

During a political session at Congress Bhawan last week, Lal Thanhawla had alleged that the BJP led NDA government was determined to scrap the ILP system, only for which Mizoram has been exempted from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

ILP is an official travel document issued to Indian citizens for entry into protected areas of the Northeastern states, including Mizoram.

Refuting the allegation, Vanlalhmuaka said that the BJP is not a party that will go the extent of lifting the ILP but instead wanted to strengthen the system.

Meanwhile, MNF general secretary T. Lalhmachhuana said that the MNF is a party that is not easy to be convinced by the word of an opposition leader.

Defending MNF president Zoramthanga, he said the party has certain principles not akin to the BJP’s.

“No doubt the MNF is a constituent member of NEDA. But this does not imply the party is accepting the BJP’s ideologies by cent per cent. We are the NEDA partner and not the BJP member,” he said.

He said that the MNF opposed to the Hindutva agenda and was against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill before it became an act with giving exemption to Mizoram.