When attackers of Christians came out on bail, guess who welcomed them

Nashik, May 20 - Christian organisations in Nashik today called for the ouster of the minister of state for Dairy Development, Arjun Tulshiram Pawar, from the ministry for ''welcoming'' the 33 youth allegedly involved in the recent attack on Christians at Abhona when they were released on bail on Wednesday from the Nashik jail.

Pawar, who was elected to the state assembly on an NCP ticket from the Kalwan (ST) constituency -- which includes Abhona -- was at the head of a reception committee comprising activists of the BJP, RSS and VHP. As the accused emerged out of the jail, the sangh members gave them a rousing reception by applying tilak and garlanding them amidst slogans of jai Shree Ram. Pawar, who was present right through the celebrations, spoke to the accused at length before departing.

Expectedly, Pawar's presence has annoyed Christians organisations which took out a morcha today to the Nashik collectorate to demand his ouster from the government headed by Vilasrao Deshmukh of the Congress.

The youths were charged with attacking a Christian gathering at Abhona on May 9 and injuring two Christian tribals. They had allegedly burnt down the screen on which a film on Jesus Christ was being shown, set fire to three vehicles and ransacked a bus carrying religious literature.

After the incident, the president of the Maharashtra unit of the NCP Babanrao Pachpute and minister of state for social welfare Laxmanrao Dhobale visited Abhona on May 11. They had assured action against the accused. Pawar, too, had visited Abhona the same day but all three ministers were cold-shouldered by the villagers, who claimed that their teenage sons were innocent and had been framed -- perhaps prompting Pawar to make amends by joining the welcome party at the jail.

But Pawar's tightrope walk between Hindus and Christians of his constituency did not work. The local units of the Republican Party of India (Athawale faction) and the Congress also participated in the morcha taken out by the Christian Love In Action (a charitable organisation), the Evangelical Alliance Christian Church and several other Christian organisations to the Nashik collectorate. In a memorandum submitted to the collector, the protestors demanded the ouster of Pawar and the arrest of BJP leader Gopinath Munde for publicly congratulating the accused youth.

The protestors further demanded a ban on ''communal'' organisations and protection for Christiansn and their shrines. They also demanded that the church demolished by 'communal forces'' at Sadadpada village in Peth tehsil of Nashik district be rebuilt and the local Shiv Sena leader Bhaskar Gavit be arrested for masterminding the attack.

The issue had figured in the state-level convention of the BJP in Nashik and the party leader Pramod Mahajan had told party workers that though every citizen had the right to profess and propagate any religion, conversions through forcible means or through allurements should be opposed and in doing so a conflict was inevitable and justified.

Let govt decide if it's illegal:

Arjun Tulsiram Pawar, confirmed he was present to welcome the accused. He said just as he had visited Abhona to appeal for peace when the Christians were attacked, he was there at the jail to receive them because they were ''my voters''. ''I have not committed any crime,'' he argued and said it was for the government and to court to decide if it was legal or illegal.
 

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