'RSS organisations like Bajrang Dal and VHP behind attacks, Christians have no hesitation in becoming martyrs"

KOTTAYAM: Twelve people, including a Malayali priest and his wife, who were arrested in Maharashtra on charges of religious conversion, were granted bail recently. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church has strongly condemned the attacks on Christians in the country during Christmas. The head of the church, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma III Catholicos, said that RSS organizations VHP and Bajrang Dal are behind the attacks on Christians. The Catholicos indicated that there can be fanatics in any religion and the ones who govern the country are the people responsible for controlling them.

"After the nuns, now the priests have been attacked. They are destroying the Christmas celebrations outside the churches and it won't be long before they enter the churches," the Bava reminded. Baselios Marthoma III Catholicos Bava also called for proper awareness regarding the attacks against the Christian community. He was speaking at the Panayampala St. Mary's Church in Kottayam while delivering a festival message.

'Any religion gives a message of truth, justice and love. The RSS motto that says India for Hindus, like Trump who says America for Americans, ... will not happen here. Christians have no hesitation in becoming martyrs for that. Christianity was born from martyrdom. When Marthoma Shleeha came to India in the first century and preached the gospel, the people here accepted. No one was forced to convert. If that were the case, only 2.7 percent of the population would not be Christians.' The Catholic Bava said.

He reminded that the Constitution gives everyone the freedom to build places of worship and pray. Bava said that Hinduism is a religion that emerged after the Aryans who migrated from Iran in 2000 BC established Brahmanical worship, and that there is no Aryan or Hindu born and raised in India.