Karnataka Chief Minister meets with Archbishop; promises full support

The newly elected Chief Minister of Karnataka, B. S. Yedyurappa, in a personal meeting with the Archbishop in Bangalore, assured full support and protection to the minorities from the Bharatiya Janata Party government, which came into power last month.

The Chief Minister on Monday rang the Archbishop of Bangalore, Bernard Moras, with whom he and several ministers met.

Law Minister S. Suresh Kumar, Minister for Excise Katta Subramanya Naidu, Minister for Medical Education Ramachandra Gowda, Bangalore North MP H.T. Sangliana and nominated Anglo–Indian MLA Derrick Fullinfaw accompanied the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister promised the Archbishop that he would take personal concern over the interests of the Christians and there should be no cause of worry.

During the short meeting, Archbishop Moras urged the Chief Minister to include Christians in his Ministry, and to provide fair representation to them in various boards and corporations.

The meeting concluded with a short prayer by the Archbishop for the success of the Chief Minister and the government.

On May 26, last month, the Bharatiya Janata Party came into power for the first time in South India.

The BJP, which has been accused of orchestrating several attacks against the Christian community, including the recent Kandhamal violence, has had a very strained relationship with the minority groups.

Archbishop Moras, pledging support for the newly formed government, affirmed that the Church and its people would unite with the government to safeguard the interests of the minorities.

Father Faustin Lobo, who coordinates pastoral ministry in Karnataka, wishes the new government distribute development projects equally among all religious communities, unlike in BJP–ruled Gujarat state in western India, where the government has given most of these projects to Hindus.

"If the BJP wants Karnataka to become its gateway in southern India, it has to shun its communal agenda and become a people's party in the real sense," he said.

Karnataka has close to 53 million people, mostly Hindus. Muslims make about 12 percent of the population, while Christians constitute less than 2 percent.