Rijiju, Tuki
Kiren Rijiju (Left) and Nabam Tuki (right). File image

Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju on Sunday alleged that the Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association (APCA) has urged the voters to exercise their franchise for Congress candidate and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki.

Union minister Rijiju while sharing a copy of the letter signed by the secretary general of APCA, Pekhi Nebum on his Facebook account, stated: “This is not proper. We all are children of the GOD who never discriminates. Democracy is system in which the government is elected by the people.”

“I’ve always served the people with full sincerity. I help all the believers and religious organizations. If anyone has doubt please contact most Reverend Bishop PK George to know about my contributions. Please pray for me and everyone,” he added.

APCA appeal
A copy of the APCA appeal. Image – Facebook
A copy of the APCA appeal. Image – Facebook

The prayer from the APCA reads as: “APCA appeals and requests all the parishes and catholic churches in Arunachal Pradesh to pray for Nabam Tuki, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Arunchal West parliamentary constituency. He is the pillar of Catholic churches in the state,”

Arunachal West parliamentary constituency is one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh.

While BJP has fielded union minister Kiren Rijiju as the party candidate for the Arunachal West parliamentary seat, Congress has fielded ex-chief minister Nabam Tuki.

Tuki is also contesting the state Assembly polls from Sagalee Assembly constituency.

Arunachal Pradesh will go to Lok Sabha and Assembly polls simultaneously in first phase on April 11, 2019.

The APCA prayer further reads as: “APCA requests all the voters of the catholic community who are going to cast their valuable vote on April 11 to exercise their adult franchise with prayerful clear conscience and vote in favour of Tuki.”