Indian bishops condemn Hindu leader’s statement

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has condemned a “highly provocative” statement of ‎a leader of a Hindu nationalist organization that encourages attacks on churches and said such ‎statements and the escalated violence indicate a “sinister pattern.”  In a statement, the Indian bishops ‎have taken a strong exception to the “irresponsible statement” of Munna Kumar Shukla, General ‎Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, who is reported to have said that attacking a ‎church is not illegal and wanted government awards for those who attack churches.  “The Christian ‎community is greatly shocked and its susceptibilities are deeply wounded” by the statement, the bishops ‎said in the press statement issued at the end of their Standing Committee Meeting on Friday.  Some 40 ‎bishops including cardinals, archbishops and bishops attended the meeting in Bangalore.  ‎

‎“Shri Shukla’s contention that attacking a Church is not illegal and that it violates no law is highly ‎untenable and contrary to standards, norms and laws of the land.,” said the statement signed by ‎conference president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis. The Hindu Mahasabha leader’s statement that ‎Churches are no longer places of worship but factories for conversion of Hindus into Christianity is ‎highly insinuating and derogatory. He further stated that the Central Government should protect and ‎award the youth who attack Churches. He also claimed that the Taj Mahal was previously a Shiva ‎Temple, the bishops noted.‎

‎“In recent times there has been an escalation of violence against Christians and other minorities together ‎with highly unwarranted statements. All such attacks indicate a sinister pattern and evil design ‎calculated to denigrate and defame the Christians, peace-loving and law abiding citizens of India,” the ‎bishops said. The bishops also wanted the Central and State Governments initiate to “swift action to ‎put an end to such inflammatory and provocative statements” and “halt of attacks on Christians and ‎other minorities and to ensure that communal harmony.”  (Source: UCAN)‎