False information on persecution of Christians: Samata

VARANASI, JULY 9. The Samata Party leader and Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, today blamed external forces and some in the country for spreading ``false'' information about persecution Christians across the country.

Addressing a two-day national council meeting of his party here, he said the ``canard'' being spread about atrocities on Christians was ``far from truth'', and isolated incidents against the minority community and the churches were a ``calculated work by those who were out to malign the country's as well as Vajpayee Government's reputation''.

``The western media only laps up on misleading informations about attacks on Christians in India and no follow up is made to investigate the issue to its core,'' Mr. Fernandes said, adding that ``the purpose of the reports about atrocities on Christians is to drive away foreign investment and business collaboration with India.''

Govindacharya's charge

The BJP national general secretary, Mr. K.N. Govindacharya, today in Lucknow accused a section of the church in Tripura of being ``hand in glove'' with terrorist outfits to change the State's demographic structure.

``Efforts are being made to change the demographic structure of Tripura by a section of the church which is in collusion with some terrorist outfits active in the State,'' Mr. Govindacharya told reporters here today.

The fact that institutions of communities, except those of the Christians, were being targeted in the State, indicated that a section of the church were ``hand in glove with the terrorists''. He said the original inhabitants of the State, Bengalis and tribals, were being forced to migrate.

- PTI

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