SHILLONG : BJP MLA Alexander Laloo Hek on Wednesday said government offices should not have places of worship, stating that public institutions must remain neutral and accessible to people of all faiths.
His remarks came a day after the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) locked an alleged illegal temple located within the premises of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office in Shillong and demanded that it be demolished within one week.
Speaking to reporters, the Pynthorumkhrah legislator clarified that he was not taking sides over the KSU’s action. Instead, he expressed his personal opinion that places of worship should not be established inside government workplaces.
“But my personal opinion is any work place whether it is in the state government or central government, worship place should be in your own private place only or you can go to the identified worship places, not in public places,” Hek said.
Hek further said government offices are public spaces that serve people from different communities and religious backgrounds. According to him, creating places of worship within such institutions could lead to unnecessary inconvenience for both employees and visitors.
“The government offices are public places. All kinds of public will go there. Why do you want to create unnecessary inconvenience for people who are working in that organization or in any other organizations,” he added.
His comments come amid an ongoing debate surrounding the alleged unauthorised temple inside the CBI office premises, an issue that has sparked discussions on the presence of religious structures within government institutions.