Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Aug 9: Based on a video clip of communal hatred and false allegations against the leaders of a community, its leaders and its clergy, a case was filed against social activist Robert Rosario, at the city (south) police station here. Deepak D Souza, secretary, All India Catholic Union, Karnataka unit, lodged this complaint against Rosario, for the baseless allegations made by him against the leaders of the community and the former Bishop. Mangaluru south police have registered FIR against Robert Rosario under crime number 174 of 2019. 

In the complaint, Deepak pointed out that about a month ago, Robert Rosario made certain allegations against Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop emeritus, Mangaluru diocese, and M P Norohna, elected secretary, diocesan pastoral council, and some others. In the said video, which was circulated through the social media, Rosario was found to have made allegations against all churches. Catholic community is now getting the feeling that Robert Rosario has been consistently attacking the Christian community and its leaders unnecessarily.

Robert Rosario

In his complaint, Deepak also pointed that Robert Rosario has been opposing the exposition of St Francis Xavier remains in Goa. In an article published in a website, Robert Rosario had demanded that the St Xavier's mortal remains must be flown to Spain as soon as possible and that he would petition the Goan government as well as the union government to make sure that this request is met. In his article which was published in another website, Rosario levelled charges against Archbishop of Delhi on the issue of sermon.

The complainant also mentioned in his complaint that Robert Rosario made a video alleging that Catholic priests were behind the incidents of church attacks which happened during September 2008.

In the video, Rosario also can be seen providing wrong information about an alleged forged decree, stating that MP Noronha is a suspect in this case. In fact, in relation to the production of the forged decree in question in the court, the additional district superintendent of police had conducted a detailed inquiry and had submitted an official report in the year 2015 itself to the government stating that MP Noronha was not involved on the issue of the alleged forged decree. Report of the superintendent of police clearly stated that Noronha's client had provided the forged document to the former and that without knowing that the document was not genuine, he had merely produced the same in the court on behalf of his client in the ordinary course of discharge of his professional duties. After coming to know that the said document was not genuine, M P Noronha had immediately withdrawn himself from the case like any other noble professional. Report of the additional district superintendent of police had very clearly disclosed that advocate M P Noronha was innocent in the matter and that he had withdrawn from the case as soon as he came to know that decree was not genuine.

In the general opinion of the community members, the video is part of a planned agenda to defame Catholic community leaders one by one and promote hatred against Catholic community in the society. The complainant mentions that the community members have a feeling that some unseen forces are trying to target the community and weaken its leaders by spreading false allegations. Otherwise, there was no need for Rosario to prepare a video and widely circulate it among the community members in Kannada, English and Hindi languages, at a time when the matter has been stayed by the superior court, he has pointed out.