Nagaland govt concerned over Orissa violence

Kohima, Aug 30 (UNI) The Nagaland government has expressed serious concern over the violent situation in Orissa, stating that the consequences would not be healthy for the country unless such incidents were stopped.

In a press statement here yesterday, Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L Imchen said India was a secular country by spirit and the freedom of religion was guaranteed as a fundamental right in the Constitution.

However, the constitutional provisions have been violated by various states by creating atrocities against the Christian community across the country, Mr Imchen informed.

He said as a secular country, religious tolerance and protection should be the prime concern of every state government.

''This is not the first time in Orissa that the Christian community is persecuted with orchestral design. All the people having different religious faiths are the bona fide citizens of the nation and therefore, the constitutional tolerance should be applied for all without any prejudice,'' Mr Imchen stated.

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