The Asian Age

VHP: Vatican, church trying to destablise Modi govt

Says churches are ‘ contract killers, slams Archbishop’s letter

- AGE CORRESPOND­ENT

Amidst veiled criticism of the Modi government by two archbishop­s, the VHP on Wednesday accused churches in India of conspiring with the Vatican as “contract killers to destabilis­e elected government­s” and asserted that India’s Constituti­on is in danger because of the attacking political stand of the church and its agenda of religious conversion­s.

VHP joint- general secretary Surendra Jain alleged that churches in India are trying to create an atmosphere of distrust and that the Vatican denigrates Hindus and India as a nation.

Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto last month said that the Constituti­on is under threat.

Accusing the churches in India of conspiring with the Vatican as “contract killers to destabilis­e elected government­s” and prop up the “puppet” ones, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad ( VHP) on Wednesday asserted that India's Constituti­on is in danger because of the attacking political stand of the church and its agenda of religious conversion­s.

After a recent letter by Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto's letter stating Constituti­on is under threat created a massive controvers­y, another letter by the Archbishop of Goa and Daman Father Filipe Neri Ferrao on Monday to churches saying that the Constituti­on is in danger and most people are living in insecurity further fuelled the controvers­y.

Reacting sharply to these letters, VHP jointgener­al secretary Surendra Jain alleged that “it is now amply clear that the churches in India are in collusion with the Vatican and is trying to create an atmosphere of distrust against the present government... On the contrary, Constituti­on of India is in danger because of the attacking political stand of the church and its agenda of religious conversion­s.”

The VHP leader said what was mentioned in the letter were not the church's view- point but a “conspiracy to install government­s which can run on the directions of the Vatican.

Like the award- wapsi gang, the church too is acting like a contract killer to destabilis­e the elected government­s,” referring to a group of artists and academicia­ns returning government awards in protest of perceived intoleranc­e.

He further said that the Vatican not only denigrates the Hindus all over the world but also India as a nation and the Indian churches are acting as puppets in their hands.

“The same church remains a mute spectator when emergency was imposed in the country, Kashmiri Hindus were brutally killed in the valley and Sikhs were butchered in the 1984 riots. For the Church, these events do not put the Constituti­on in danger,” Dr Jain wondered.

He also questioned why does the church behave in this fashion only when BJP- led government is in office.

“A malicious campaign about attacks on churches was made by these people when Modi ji took over as Prime Minister. When their falsehood was exposed, they did not show the courtesy by apologisin­g for the same,” Dr Jain added.

In a controvers­ial letter addressed to all the churches in the national capital, the Archbishop of Delhi had last month said that there was a “turbulent political atmosphere” in the country which “threatens” democracy and secularism. Archbishop Anil Couto, in his letter dated May 8, has also urged all the priests in Delhi to “pray for the country” ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha election, in which the BJP hopes to retain power.

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