<p>Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza Monday apologized for his comment that India was already a Hindu nation.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"My opinion could be wrong for others. I accept it. I don't say it is the most correct opinion. You might say I am wrong. If anyone's sentiment is hurt, I apologise," D'Souza said.<br /><br />"Hindu is my culture, Christianity is my religion. When I say Hindu, it means culture and not religion. Hindu culture is 5,000 years old and my religion is 2,000 years old," D'Souza said.<br /><br />D'Souza said Friday: "India is a Hindu country. It is Hindustan. All Indians in Hindustan are Hindus, including me, I am a Christian Hindu."<br /><br />His comments triggered an uproar in the national media and on the political scene. The opposition asked the Goa Roman Catholic Church to excommunicate him for committing heresy.<br /><br />D'Souza is one of the senior-most minority members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa and has been the party's poster-boy as far as the Christian community is concerned. Christians account for nearly 26 percent of the state's population.</p>
<p>Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza Monday apologized for his comment that India was already a Hindu nation.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"My opinion could be wrong for others. I accept it. I don't say it is the most correct opinion. You might say I am wrong. If anyone's sentiment is hurt, I apologise," D'Souza said.<br /><br />"Hindu is my culture, Christianity is my religion. When I say Hindu, it means culture and not religion. Hindu culture is 5,000 years old and my religion is 2,000 years old," D'Souza said.<br /><br />D'Souza said Friday: "India is a Hindu country. It is Hindustan. All Indians in Hindustan are Hindus, including me, I am a Christian Hindu."<br /><br />His comments triggered an uproar in the national media and on the political scene. The opposition asked the Goa Roman Catholic Church to excommunicate him for committing heresy.<br /><br />D'Souza is one of the senior-most minority members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa and has been the party's poster-boy as far as the Christian community is concerned. Christians account for nearly 26 percent of the state's population.</p>