Sangh Parivar criticised for Chevella incidents

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 25. The AICC(I) secretary, Mr. V. Hanumantha Rao, the former Minister, Mr. K. Ram Reddy and the MLA, Mrs. P. Sabita Reddy, visited Chevella, on Sunday, and met victims of an attack on a Christian congregation for information on the incident.

Mr. Rao said the attack was handiwork of the Sangh Parivar. There was no provocation as the discourses and prayers at the congregation were going on peacefully. There were no conversions as alleged in some quarters.

The Congress leader demanded that cases be booked and assailants arrested. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar were bent on creating disturbances to divert the attention of the people from the Tehelka disclosures. The party activists would not remain silent spectators.

Mr. Ram Reddy and Mrs. Sabita Reddy also assured the party's support to those who gathered to narrate the incident of that night.

Left parties

The nine Left parties have condemned the attack on the congregation and the burning of the Bible at Chevella.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the nine parties said the unprovoked, preplanned attack was the result of growing religious intolerance, which was emboldened by the passive attitude of the State Government. People would tend to believe that the TDP Government's lenient attitude was encouraging the dark forces of communalism to perpetrate such crimes, they said. Mr. S. Sudhakar Reddy (CPI), Mr. B.V. Raghavulu (CPI-M), and representatives of seven Left parties signed the statement.

Hindu Vahini

Hindu Vahini of Andhra Pradesh has alleged that the religious priest at the congregation made derogatory remarks against Hindu Gods and Goddesses, thereby hurting the sentiments of the Hindus. The local people could not tolerate it resulting in the incident, Mr. K. Trivikrama Rao, local Sanghatana secretary said in a press release.

Appeal to CM

The Andhra Pradesh Council of Churches, a representative body of all Protestant churches in the State, has appealed to the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, to take steps to prevent incidents of Bible-burning and disturbance caused to Gospel meetings as happened at Chevella.

In a statement on Sunday, the honorary secretary and treasurer of the organisation, Dr. Jetti A. Oliver, described the unanimous resolution adopted by the Assembly condemning such incidents, as "a great consolation" and thanked the House for its total solidarity with the minorities.

He said it was unfortunate that peace-loving people were subjected to vandalism time and again by "misguided elements". "Restraint" was the need of the hour, he said.

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