Following CM's footsteps – Ministers visit churches, Bishop

Following the recent visit of Karnataka Chief Minister BR Yedyurappa with Archbishop Rev. Bernard Moras, the Mangalore state Home minister Dr V S Acharya, and Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat followed suit by visiting Churches and religious leaders in the city, extending support.

According to Dajiworld, a local news, the Home Minister and the BJP MLA visited the ‘Mother of Sorrows Church’ and offered prayers along with Christian leaders and priests.

Its report further added, Dr Acharya along with Krishna Palemer visited the Bishop's house in Mangalore and sought blessings from Rev. Aloysius D'Souza, Bishop of Mangalore.

Encouraged by the visit, a Christian leader in the state said, “Before the elections, we were led to believe that the BJP is a communal party and that they are anti Christians and anti Muslims. But today we have learnt that they are down to earth people. They cannot be communal leaders.”

“We had elected our own community member to Parliament. But he never bothered to visit his own parish after becoming the central minister. But the gesture of Ragupathi and Dr Acharya visiting churches, though non Christians, is commendable," he added.

Last week, the Bangalore chief minister Yedyurappa, met with Archbishop Bernard Moras assuring full support and security to the Christian community. He also promised to include Christians in his Ministry, providing fair representation to them in various boards and corporations.

After the recent election of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for the first time in South India, its officials and party leaders have been deliberately visiting churches and religious leaders to bring confidence and construct peace among the minorities.

Known for its anti–minority approach, and its various involvement in orchestrating attacks against Christians, the BJP sees itself as rising to the defense of Indian culture, and Indian religious systems which includes Hindus and excludes Christians and Muslims.

In the 2007 Christmas violence allegedly carried out by the BJP, Christians were attacked in Kandhamal, Orissa, resulting in 9 deaths and destruction of houses and churches. At least 90 churches were burnt in the barbarous attack.