Mangalore: Ministers, MLA Follow CM's Footsteps - Visit Churches, Meet Bishop
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM/RD)
Pics: Wilson D'Souza Shirva and Prajwal Ukkuda
Mangalore, Jun 11: Following the recent lead given by the Karnataka CM Yedyurappa by visiting the Archbishop Rt Rev Dr Bernard Moras, head of the catholic archdiocese , the state Home minister Dr V S Acharya, and Udupi MLA Ragupathi Bhat too followed suit by visiting Churches and catholic religious leaders in Udupi and Mangalore.
Both the Home Minister and the BJP MLA visited the Mother of Sorrows Church and offered prayers along with catholic leaders and priests.
Later, Dr Acharya along with Krishna Palemar visited the Bishop's house in Mangalore and sought blessings from Rt Rev Dr Aloysius D'Souza, the Bishop of Mangalore.
It is apparent that these deliberate visits to various religious places and its leaders by BJP ministers and its MLA's is to portray the secular approach of the government and bring confidence among the minority community.
Sources close to daijiworld said that ministers and MLAs are soon to visit Muslim Dargas, mosques and its leaders to assure their support to all communities without discriminating any religion or its sentiments.
After the felicitation service at Udupi Church, daijiworld contacted one of the parish leaders to get his opinion on the visit of the Home Minister. The leader who spoke on condition of anonymity was full of praise for VS Acharya and Ragupathi Bhat.
"Before the elections, we were led to believe that the BJP is a communal party and that they are anti Christians and anti Muslims. But today we have learnt that they are down to earth people. They cannot be communal leaders. We had elected our own community member to Parliament . But he never bothered to visit his own parish after becoming the central minister. But the gesture of Ragupathi and Dr Acharya visiting churches , though non Christians, is commendable. This shows the true greatness of a person.” he said.
Contrary to this heart warming remark, one of the Udupi Block congress leaders who also incidentally attended the felicitation ceremony in the church, had a different opinion
"Why must the Home Minister and MLAs waste time in visiting religious places and attend felicitation programs? The state is facing a grave problem from un-happy farmers. One farmer was killed in police firing, property worth crores of rupees is destroyed. But our Ministers are busy attending felicitation programmes and pleasing the minority community" he said.