Political parties pressed to provide Christian representation in Andhra

Political parties in Andhra Pradesh were pressed to provide Christian representation in the Assembly and the Parliament.

The All India Christian Council, on February 24, met with leaders of political parties in the wake of the upcoming elections.

General secretary of the AICC Prabhu Kumar spoke on the need for adequate representation to Christians so they can serve and protect the interest of the minority communities in the state.

He explained that although Christians according to official status is close to 9%, the actual figure might be about 19% of the total population. This is a significant number revealing the community's importance, he said.

AICC submitted a memorandum, which stated their demand for 30 Assembly seats and 3 Parliament seats for Christians. In addition, the representatives from Congress, Praja Rajyam and TRS were urged to withdraw GOs 746 and 747 that bans propagation of any non–Hindu religion in and around Tirupati.

The Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and the setting up of legal cell to protect the victims of religious violence also were part of the discussions.