Christian leaders meet Jaitley for confidence building
The meeting is seen as significant as it was a part of the BJP-led government’s image building exercise.
A group of Christian leaders, including the three Catholic bishops in Delhi, met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday as a measure of "building confidence."
“The meeting was a confidence building measure between the government and the community. The discussions were cordial, constructive and very positive,” said Father Savari Muthu, spokesperson of the Delhi Archdiocese.
The leaders included Archbishop Anil J T Couto of Delhi, Bishop Kuriackose Bharanikulangara of Faridabad, Bishop Jacob Mar Barnabas Gurgaon and Jesuit provincial of South Asia Father George Patteri. The 14 leaders met Jaitley at his residence Saturday.
They had a 90-minute meeting during which the leaders expressed their concerns about the community.
Sources said Jaitley recollected the community’s contributions to the society and made it clear that neither the BJP nor its government support attacks against the minority community.
The community leaders said they will have more such meetings in the future.
The meeting is seen as significant as it was a part of the BJP-led government’s image building exercise.
The government has come under criticism for frequent attacks on churches and inflammatory statements by BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders.
Source: Indian Express
