Stand with Muslims on Waqf issue, opposition Christian MPs tell church body

New Delhi: Christians MPs from the Opposition bloc have urged Catholic church leadership to take steps to rally the community against the contentious Bill on Waqf properties and ensure that they do not add fodder to anti-Muslim sentiments, sources said on Saturday.

The MPs made the comments during a meeting of Christian lawmakers called by Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) here on December 3.

Around 20 MPs attended the meeting chaired by CBCI president Archbishop Andrews Thazhath. Union Minister George Kurien too joined the deliberations towards the end of the meeting though he was not present when the demand on Waqf Bill and other issues were raised.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien, CPI(M)'s John Brittas, Congress' Benny Behanan, Anto Antony, Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Kerala Congress (M)' Jose K Mani and Kerala Congress's Francis George among others attended the meeting.

Sources said the Opposition MPs were vocal against The Waqf (Amendment) Bill claiming that it would have a far-reaching impact on minorities in the future, including the Catholic Church. They were of the view that the Church should ensure that the community should not be part of any anti-Muslim narrative.

On its part, sources said the Church leadership were of the view that the government has not moved in the proper channel to invite Pope Francis to India, a charge Kurien is learnt to have denied.

At the meeting called to discuss the role of Christian MPs in supporting and protecting the community and its rights, increasing attacks and threats against minorities, and misuse of FCRA to target Christian institutions, sources said the MPs said the religious leadership should boldly deal with the government and there is no need to hold back their views.

One of the MPs asked the church leadership to take a stand to "call out those who are not protecting the Constitution and desist from "photo-ops". Another MP suggested that it was "getting transactional", as MPs criticised them for the way they handled the relationship with the government since 2014.

Some MPs suggested that the Church leadership should take the initiative to tell the government about the important role being played by the community. They said that the Church does not need to be reactive to negative news while pointing out that they should convey to the public that three out of four students in Christian institutions were in fact from other communities.

The issue of the Union government abolishing seats for Anglo Indians in Lok Sabha and 10 state assemblies was also raised during the meeting.

Some MPs also raised the issue of the Thrissur Lok Sabha election result, where BJP's Suresh Gopi won. There were claims that the church supported Gopi to enable the BJP open an account in Kerala in Lok Sabha elections.