Keep off internal affairs: RSS to Pope >From Indo-Asian News Service
Kanyakumari, July 6 (IANS) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sunday termed a "direct challenge to the sovereignty of the country" Pope John Paul II's criticism of anti-conversion laws enacted by some Indian states. In a resolution adopted at the meeting of its national executive here, the RSS contended the Pope had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of India. The RSS reaction came in response to a statement from the Pope that "in India, state authorities had yielded to the pressures of (Hindu) extremists and had passed unjust anti-conversion laws". The Pope had also exhorted the Church to "continue with evangelisation". The RSS resolution urged the government to lodge a protest with the Pope for urging Christian missionaries to carry on with their conversion activities. "India's attitude of peace and tolerance should not be construed as a licence to anyone to infringe on our national ethos," the resolution said. Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal, who is also attending the RSS meeting, repeated his demand that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seek a fresh mandate for failing to legislate on the Ayodhya issue. "It is better that the BJP seeks a fresh mandate in view of its failure to fulfil the promise of a law to build a Ram mandir at Ayodhya," he told reporters here. "The BJP had stated that the issue would be resolved through negotiations or legislation. Even if they don't have the majority to pass the legislation, they should place it before other parties. And if they can't pass it they should go to the people," he asserted. --Indo-Asian News Service ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
