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PM indifferent to attacks on Christians: Gowda

Special Correspondent

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, and Janata Dal(S) workers staged a dharna in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for being too busy with the nuclear deal to pay attention to the attacks on churches and Christians in Karnataka.

Speaking to journalists at the end of a dharna in front of Rajghat, the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, he said he had written to the Prime Minister detailing the atrocities being committed against the minorities in Karnataka and requesting him to impose President’s Rule in the State. “There was no response. The Prime Minister is busy with the nuclear deal. He is not paying attention to the situation.”

The dharna, he said, was to draw attention of the Central government and the world community. He wanted the Centre to impose President’s rule and ban the Bajrang Dal and Ram Sena, which were allegedly behind the attacks.

Mr. Gowda also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for not expressing any concern over the situation and pointed out that it had, instead, adopted a resolution at the recent meeting of its national executive in Bangalore declaring that Hindutva was its main agenda.

Complaining that the Leader of the Opposition and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate L.K. Advani was merely issuing certificates of appreciation to the Karnataka government, he said, “My apprehensions are coming true. Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has lived up to his promise that he would implement the Gujarat model in the State.”

He refuted the reasoning that attacks on churches were a reaction to the conversion of some Hindus to Christianity and stressed that not even a single conversion had taken place. “Let the State government set up a judicial commission. The truth will come out.”

He declined to comment on the criticism in some quarters that his party joining the BJP to form a coalition government under the JD(S) leader and his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy had led to the BJP gaining a strong foothold in Karnataka, except to recall that he had recently given a call for the formation of a secular front against the BJP, but the Congress did not respond to it.

Several Christian and Muslim leaders participated in the dharna organised by the Delhi unit of JD(S). John Dayal, president, All India Catholic Union and Member of the National Integration Council, and Dominique Emmanuel of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, JD(S) vice-president Bapu Kaldate, secretary general Kunwar Danish Ali and Delhi State president Ikram Hassan, were among those who attended.

Mr. Gowda later addressed a congregation of Christian leaders at the residence of the Archbishop of Delhi.

Related links

Bajrang Dal leader arrested

End attacks on Christians: Centre

BJP dares Centre to impose President’s rule in Karnataka

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