Singh defends India's secular credentials at EU summit

While the European Union, India's largest trading partner, voiced concerns over the attacks on Christians in India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defended the country's "secular credentials" and said he had already condemned these incidents as “acts of national shame”.

“With regard to the Christian minority in India, let me say India is a secular state. We are a multi–religious, multi–cultural nation,” Manmohan Singh told reporters when asked about the attacks on Christians in recent weeks.

“The constitution guarantees all citizens of India the right to profess and propagate a religion of their choice,” he said admitting that sporadic attacks on Christian shrines have been carried on by radical Hindus.

"Our government has taken a firm position. I have myself condemned these acts as a national shame,” he added.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said: “We applauded the reaction of the Indian authorities vis–a–vis recent events where Christians in India were attacked. I know this is an internal matter. We also appreciate the strength and clarity with which the Prime Minister has condemned the attacks."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is also the head of the European Council defined the attacks on Christians as a massacre and said, the government must take strong steps to prevent these atrocities in future.

Sarkozy and Barrosso expressed satisfaction with Singh's assurances. "He is a courageous man. My respect for him has gone up because of his courageous assurances," Sarkozy said.

Indian and French leaders during the summit, vowed to boost nuclear energy cooperation on EU–India ties dominated by trade, global warming and the world financial crisis.