Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday that he had not seen the letter by the Archbishop of Delhi, Anil Couto, asking for a prayer campaign in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, along with an appeal to fast on Fridays.
“I have not seen the statement [of the Archbishop] verbatim but all I can say is that India is a country where there is no discrimination against anyone on the basis of caste, sect or religion. Such a thing cannot be allowed,” Mr. Singh said on the sidelines of an event of the Border Security Force (BSF) here.
His comments came in the wake of the Archbishop referring to a “turbulent political atmosphere” in the country, and appealing for a prayer campaign ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Archbishop Couto, who had written to all parish priests in the national capital earlier this month, did not name any political party in his letter.
The Home Minister said the government would not allow any breach of the unity of the country.
“Sometimes questions are posed to us. We will not compromise on the unity, integrity and sovereignty of this country at any cost and this is our top priority. We are also committed to strengthening the bonds of amity, affinity and harmony in our society,” he said.
Call for campaign
Citing the political atmosphere which allegedly poses a threat to the democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution and the secular fabric of the nation, the Archbishop letter says, “It is our hallowed practice to pray for our country and its political leaders all the time but all the more so when we approach the general elections. As we look forward towards 2019, when we will have a new government, let us begin a prayer campaign for our country.”
