Believe it or not, ‘‘nationalism’’ has lured new Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang to the BJP. Apang, who was admitted to the BJP amid much fanfare at the party headquarters, told mediapersons today that he and his fellow MLAs had joined the BJP out of their commitment to ‘‘nationalism, national unity and the progress of North-East’’.While Apang used these flattering expressions, present on the occasion to cheer him were Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand, BJP vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal, who is in charge of the North-East, and BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.Swami, aware of the restless nature of politicians from the N-E, took care to point out to Apang: ‘‘Mind you, there is no exit route from this party. You are joining a family, not a party. You can give up your party, but not family.’’ Apang and his MLAs grinned in response.The glee in the BJP over having spread its tentacles in the North-East was too apparent. Swami and Khandelwal took turns to stuff burfis into Apang’s mouth, as the CM proudly displayed his BJP membership receipt like a trophy for photographers. Initiation over, Apang behaved like somebody who had been baptised by the saffron party long ago. Asked if he was inspired by the BJP policies or the NDA agenda, he said: ‘‘We are the BJP. We will work for the BJP. We will die for the BJP.’’ As for the Congress charge that Nagaland militants had a hand in the overthrow of the Mithi Government, Apang said: ‘‘It is a lie.’’ The Chief Minister was not ruffled by the talk of a greater Nagaland. ‘‘The Centre will protect the territorial integrity of Arunachal,’’ he assured.
