NEW DELHI: India’s upper house of Parliament was briefly adjourned on Thursday after opposition members denounced comments by the leader of a Hindu group who said Roman Catholic missionary Mother Teresa had tried to convert people to Christianity.
Religious conversion has become a highly emotive issue in India recently, with debate whipped up by some supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who see multi-faith Indian as a Hindu-first nation.
Members of the upper house criticized Mohan Bhagwat, head of the country’s most powerful Hindu organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who recently said Mother Teresa helped the poor to make them “obligated so that they become Christian.”
Political opponents of Modi and his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which the RSS supports, said right-wing Hindu groups were fanning religious tension in a country where violence between members of different religion has been common for decades.
“First, they’re trying to de-iconize Mahatma Gandhi,” said P. Rajeev, a member of parliament belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), referring to comments by a BJP lawmaker that described Gandhi’s Hindu-nationalist assassin as a patriot.
“Now, they are trying to de-iconize Mother Teresa,” Rajeev said.
There has been no major religious violence since Modi came to power in May. But at least seven Christian institutions have been vandalized or have reported arson or theft in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, the government pledged to increase security at hundreds of churches in New Delhi.
Bhagwat’s comments came days after Modi made a long-awaited speech on religious tolerance, vowing to protect all minorities.
Sunil Lucas, a communication director for the Archdiocese of Calcutta (Kolkata), told Reuters it was “terrible” that Bhagwat’s comments came so soon after Modi’s assurances.
Mother Teresa “acted in faith and responded to the call of Jesus, but the outcome was social good and uplift of people,” Lucas said.
This week, senior BJP member Meenakshi Lekhi sought to distance her party from the controversy, telling reporters the government had nothing to do with Bhagwat said.
However, Lekhi also defended the comments, saying Mother Teresa herself had said her job was to spread Christianity, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
Mother Teresa, who was born in Macedonia and became an Indian citizen, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work in the slums of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
In the last year, the RSS has been working to expand its base in West Bengal, stoking tension by asserting the superiority of Hinduism over Christianity and Islam.
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India’s Parliament disrupted over remarks against Mother Teresa
India’s Parliament disrupted over remarks against Mother Teresa
Bangladesh’s Islamist-led coalition submits poll complaints
- Bangladesh Nationalist Party posts sweeping victory in the South Asian nation of 170 million after general elections on Thursday
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Islamist-led coalition, which lost its chance to form the country’s next government in this week’s polls, submitted complaints to the Election Commission on Sunday, challenging results in 32 constituencies.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman — the scion of one of the country’s most influential political dynasties — celebrated a sweeping victory in the South Asian nation of 170 million after general elections on Thursday.
They were the first polls since a 2024 uprising ousted the autocratic government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP alliance won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, according to the Election Commission.
Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman conceded on Saturday, saying his party would “serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition.”
Newly elected lawmakers are expected to be sworn in on Tuesday, after which Rahman is set to become the country’s next prime minister.
But on Sunday, Jamaat officials submitted their complaints.
“We have identified 32 constituencies where our candidates were unfairly defeated,” said senior Jamaat official Hamidur Rahman Azad.
“The election day began smoothly, but the ending was not what we had expected. Fake votes, the circulation of black money (bribes), threats, assaults, and attacks marred the atmosphere.”
Police records show that political clashes during the campaign period left five people dead and more than 600 injured.
But despite weeks of turbulence ahead of the polls, voting day passed without major unrest and the country has so far responded to the results with relative calm.
At least two people were killed in post-poll clashes, while scattered acts of vandalism and assaults were reported in several districts, police said.
Both Jamaat?e?Islami and ally the National Citizen Party (NCP) — formed by student leaders who spearheaded the uprising — reported attacks on their supporters.
NCP loyalists marched through Dhaka University campus against the BNP on Friday.
Police spokesman AHM Shahadat Hossain said that police were deployed to keep the peace.
“Over 150,000 police personnel were trained to tackle pre- and post-election violence,” Hossain said.
The Election Commission said turnout was 59 percent across 299 of the 300 constituencies where voting was held.
Only seven women were directly elected, although a further 50 seats reserved for women will be allocated to parties according to their share of the vote.
Four members of minority communities won seats, including two Hindus — a population that makes up roughly seven percent in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman — the scion of one of the country’s most influential political dynasties — celebrated a sweeping victory in the South Asian nation of 170 million after general elections on Thursday.
They were the first polls since a 2024 uprising ousted the autocratic government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP alliance won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, according to the Election Commission.
Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman conceded on Saturday, saying his party would “serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition.”
Newly elected lawmakers are expected to be sworn in on Tuesday, after which Rahman is set to become the country’s next prime minister.
But on Sunday, Jamaat officials submitted their complaints.
“We have identified 32 constituencies where our candidates were unfairly defeated,” said senior Jamaat official Hamidur Rahman Azad.
“The election day began smoothly, but the ending was not what we had expected. Fake votes, the circulation of black money (bribes), threats, assaults, and attacks marred the atmosphere.”
Police records show that political clashes during the campaign period left five people dead and more than 600 injured.
But despite weeks of turbulence ahead of the polls, voting day passed without major unrest and the country has so far responded to the results with relative calm.
At least two people were killed in post-poll clashes, while scattered acts of vandalism and assaults were reported in several districts, police said.
Both Jamaat?e?Islami and ally the National Citizen Party (NCP) — formed by student leaders who spearheaded the uprising — reported attacks on their supporters.
NCP loyalists marched through Dhaka University campus against the BNP on Friday.
Police spokesman AHM Shahadat Hossain said that police were deployed to keep the peace.
“Over 150,000 police personnel were trained to tackle pre- and post-election violence,” Hossain said.
The Election Commission said turnout was 59 percent across 299 of the 300 constituencies where voting was held.
Only seven women were directly elected, although a further 50 seats reserved for women will be allocated to parties according to their share of the vote.
Four members of minority communities won seats, including two Hindus — a population that makes up roughly seven percent in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
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