Swamy's poser to TN CM on church

Chennai, Jul 7: Posing direct threat to religious and communal amity, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today said like the Babri Masjid, the Santhome Church would have to go, to pave the way for a Shiva Temple.

Taking exception to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's decision to patronise the screening of the mega budget movie on Saint Thomas and his missionary activities in the state during the 16th century, he alleged this amounted to trying to patronise the falsification of history about the presence of St Thomas in the state.

Alleging the Portuguese had pulled down the Shiva Temple to build the Santhome Church, Dr Swamy said patronising the film would also amount to legitimise the destruction of the Shiva Temple.

''The Church will have to go and the Kapaleeshwara Temple re-built on the site,'' he said.

Dr Swamy said around mid-16th century, two anti-Hindu brutalities were committed by foreigners. The first was the demolition of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya and the second, the destruction of the Shiva Temple at Santhome.

UNI