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MP govt proposes law to regulate Christian properties
Hemender Sharma / CNN-IBN
Published on Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 08:59 in section Politics
MINORITY PROJECT: The MP government's decision is already being seen as a
conspiracy to polarise votes.
Bhopal: On the eve of the general elections, yet another trump card of sorts
being attempted by the BJP.
This time in Madhya Pradesh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan's government has proposed a
new law to regulate Christian properties and bringing churches to missionary
schools under government control.
The decision is already being seen as a conspiracy to polarise votes.
Spokesman, Catholic Church, Madhya Pradesh Father Anand Muttungal said, " This
is a conspiracy by the state government to harass the Christian community and
the minority commission has become a tool in the hands of the state
government."
The proposal from the Madhya Pradesh Minority Commission is worrying.
* Madhya Pradesh has over 2000 christian institutions.
* Out of these Bhopal alone has 21 churches, 24 missionary schools and
two colleges.
* Catholics also run three hospitals in the state capital.
However, Minister, religious endowments Laxmi Kant Sharma said, "There is no
communal feeling behind the move. The government takes care of Muslim
properties as well as Hindu properties so Christian properties can also be
looked after."
And while the government is playing down its move, saying the properties need
state conservation, it has no real answers.
After all, it is also alleged that the VHP-RSS combine in the state itself gets
huge amounts of funding from foreign donors.
