Friday, March 10, 2006

Lok Sabha adjourned over book maligning Hindu gods

Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, March 9, 2006

The Lok Sabha was once again adjourned on Thursday. This time it was over a book published by a Christian missionary group that contained "insulting remarks" against Hindu gods.

Raising the issue in the House during Zero Hour, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Kota Srichand Kriplani said a book named 'Haqeeqat', written by MJ Mathew and published by the Emmanuel Mission, maligned Lord Krishna, Goddess Saraswati and other Hindu gods.

He said the mission, which has been functioning in Kota in Rajasthan for 21 years, was "working against the national interests".

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee asked the MP not to make allegations against any community.

Some Rashtriya Janata Dal and Kerala MPs also protested Kriplani's remarks saying he was misleading the House and that the Emmanuel Mission had nothing to do with the book.

Kriplani then sought permission to table the book, but it was denied by the Speaker. This provoked protests from the BJP members who disrupted the proceedings, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House from 12:30 pm to 2:15 pm.

The Emmanuel Mission has in the past been accused of trying to convert people to Christianity. There was tension in Kota last month after Hindu activists tried to attack a gathering at the mission.

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