Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has termed the decision by the Congress-led state government to reject the Someshekhar Commission report on the 2008 church attacks in Mangalore as a “politically-motivated act of vengeance”.
Talking to The Hindu , M.B. Puranik, Vishwa Hindu Parishad Karnataka Zone President, said the government was “appeasing” the minority Christian community by undoing all the decisions taken by the previous BJP government.
“The issue is dead and there is communal harmony now. Why is the government raking this?” he asked.
He believed the decision would lead to a “resurgence of conversion of Hindus” – an allegation that had triggered the initial attacks on churches.
With the rejection of the Commission report, the state government said it will now look at the recommendations by the National Human Rights Commission, which asks for groups and outfits behind the attack to be prosecuted for the incident.
On the possibility of action on organisations behind the attack, including the VHP which had been among those blamed, Mr. Puranik said, “A few politically-ambitious individuals were behind the attacks, and these persons have been thrown out of the organisation. The government cannot prove the whole organisation was behind these incidents.”
