Prominent Indian political leader lashes out at Christians

November 09, 2009

Rajnath Singh, leader of India’s popular Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has called for an end of the “mass conversions illegally carried out by Christians in India, especially in the northeast,” citing the “conversion of 30% of the tribal populations of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.” Singh said that such conversions should be stopped by any means, including changing the nation’s constitution.

“If that were so, it would be a bad sign for the entire nation, and the entire country would be trying to find signs of illegal conversions,” said Father Anand Muttungal, spokesman for the Church in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. “A police report would have to be filed and such coversions decried.

 

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Further information:

• BJP accuses Church of alleged “illegal mass conversions" (Fides)
• For BJP, conversions “corrupt India,” words the Catholic Church views as damaging to the country (AsiaNews)