BJP Minority Morcha criticises Centre on terrorism

Kottayam, Sep 22 (UNI) BJP ''Minority Morcha'' All India Vice President P J Thomas today charged that the country had become a laboratory for terrorism because of the policy of the Centre.

Talking to newspersons here, he criticised the Centre for threatening the BJP governments under Article 355 for the attack against minorities and their institutions in Orissa and Karnataka.

Demanding suitable legislation against conversion through compulsion, he appealed to various Christian denominations to make clear their stand against compulsory conversion. The untoward incidents in Orissa were after effect of the murder of Swamy Lakshmananda and in Karnataka it was following compulsory conversion, he alleged.

He welcomed the statement of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference that it was ready for an open discussion with the Hindu leaders on alleged forced conversions, he appealed to the National Minority Commission to take the initiative for such a discussion instead of blaming the BJP governments in Orissa and Karnataka.

He also condemned the attack against minority communities and their institutions in various parts of the country, including in Orissa and Karnataka.

He charged that the attack on churches at Nedumbaserry in Kerala different and was part of the deliberate attempt to destroy the prevailing communal harmony in the state.

UNI VST VV MIR ND2002