Breaking his silence on a spate of attacks on churches and the controversy surrounding “ghar wapsi”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his Government will not allow any religious group to incite hatred and act strongly against religious violence.
Speaking at the national celebration of the Elevation to Sainthood of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia at Vigyan Bhawan on Tuesday, Modi said his Government gave equal respect to all religions and will ensure complete freedom of faith and liberty to everyone to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion.
Claiming that his Government’s focus was purely on development for all, Modi said: “It means food on every table, every child in school, a job for everybody and a house with toilet and electricity for every family. This will make India proud. We can only achieve this through unity.”
The Prime Minister has been accused by the Opposition and Christian groups of maintaining silence on the recent attacks on churches and a Christian school in Delhi as well as on the issues of “love Jehad” and religious re-conversions or “ghar wapsi” as they are called.
Archbishops Andrew Thazah and Anil Couto expressed concern over attacks on churches and hoped the Government will take appropriate steps. Thazah said missionary schools and colleges have nothing to do with conversions and pointed out that several BJP leaders, including veteran lK Advani and HRD Minister Smriti Irani were products of such institutions.
Reacting to this, the Prime Minister said that India was the land of Buddha and Gandhi, and equal respect for all religions has to be in the DNA of every Indian. “We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence.
My Government will act strongly in this regard…My Government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My Government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a Government that gives equal respect to all religions,” Modi said.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley referred to the recent incidents of attacks on churches in Delhi as “unacceptable aberrations”. He said the guilty would be brought to book and there is “no space” in India for such people. He said while the State detached itself from religion, it allowed religion to be professed, followed and to be propagated.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said the incidents of attacks are aberrations and will be dealt with seriously by the Government. He recalled that Hindu rulers in Kerala had helped Christianity prosper in the State by offering them land for churches.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, His holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, called on Modi. He was accompanied by a nine-member delegation, comprising senior members of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church. Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, is currently on an Apostolic visit to India.