Is Jesus Christ under threat in Mumbai?

New Delhi, Mar 3: There just cannot be a more touchy topic in India than religion. For a country that carries the religious fervor up its sleeve, this incident does not spell good news for many.

The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) decision to demolish all illegal religious structures that are found to be obstructing vehicular traffic is under the bulldozers radar.

The BMCs decision have affected the Christian community when the municipal body got into a demolition drive on churches across the bustling city. The move has angered believers and has left them fuming. Father Warner D'souza, Parish priest of the Mount Carmel Church said, "I have never seen people so angry before. How can the civic body act in this way."

While the BMC holds the Supreme Court order in 2009 as the reason for the drive, the community members feel that they have been unfairly targetted. The BMC officials have stuck the so-called demolition notices on the revered symbol of the Christians, the Christian cross. The community is also seeking why the officials are following double-standards if they are fulfilling their duty, since there are many other religious places that has not adhered to the SC order.

Abraham Mathai, Vice-Chairman, State Minorities Commission said on the issue, "The Christian community feels as if they have been targeted because they are passive."

Hope the issue does not snowball into a bigger issue and with political parties waiting to lap up any issue to leverage their stand in the present vote-bank politics, the threat becomes manifold.

OneIndia News