Why Sangliana is Angry.

BJP MP HT Sangliana is fast turning out to be the angry young man in the saffron party. Reason: The atrocities against Christians and vandalizing of churches by “anti-social elements supported by their political masters”. At a church in Malur recently, a pastor and worshippers at a congregation were attacked during the Sunday service and bible classes. According to sources, the attackers were allegedly Bajrang Dal/VHP supporters who went on the rampage, destroying church literature and books, suspecting that the church was indulging in conversions.

Citing another incident at HSR Layout, Sangliana said volunteers of a Christian orphanage were attacked on suspicions of indulging in conversion, and instead of taking swift action against the culprits, the police reacted late and tried to blame the organization.

Mincing no words, Mr Sangliana, a devout Christian, jumped to the defense of the church, stating that “conversions happen all the time and in all religions”. The very fact that 85% constitute the majority Hindu community, and 15% minority, puts paid to the bogey about conversion, he said.

A former Police Commissioner of Bangalore, popularly known as Supercop, Sangliana blamed the police for shying away from taking pro-active action against miscreants who were targeting the church and the innocents, for their own vested interests. Some people had complained to him that the police were asking them to take prior permission for conduct of religious prayers, and said it was absurd to think that one needed permission to say their prayers.

He charged that the Christians were mild-mannered and tolerant, and that’s why they were being targeted, to the exclusion of others. Refusing to take on the saffron supporters who are suspected to have a hand in some of these incidents, Sangliana maintained that the BJP as a party will steer clear of such issues.

Expressing his dismay at the rise in such atrocities over the past two years, Sangliana appealed to the government to put an end to such incidents.

Kennedy Shantakumar, city district  secretary, BJP Minority Morcha, said secular parties were systematically spreading the canard that his party was anti-minorities, but the fact was the BJP believed in giving equal opportunity to all irrespective of their religion.