Jesus statue row: Church makes way for temple in US, says Rai

Mangaluru: Senior Congress leader and former state minister Ramanath Rai on Saturday, January 18 lashed out at RSS honcho Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for his provocative remarks during the Kanakpura Chalo rally recently.

Earlier on January 13, Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, during a protest rally opposing the erection of 114-ft tall statue of Jesus Christ at Kapalibetta in Kanakapura said that India is a land of Krishna and not Christ and we will not allow the Christ statue to be erected on Kapalabetta.

Reacting to his remarks Ramanath Rai said that few people are targeting the minorities in society.

Recalling the infamous Church attack incident, Rai said that the Christians did not revolt even then. “A church makes way for a temple in USA where Christians are in majority. But no one protested there. The act has been appreciated by others.

In London too an idol of Basavanna has been installed. There too no one opposed the installation of the statue,” said Rai expressing his displeasure that in a secular and harmonious country like India, we are facing opposition for erection of Jesus statue.

On the issue of a likely ban on PFI and SDPI outfits, Rai said that he had no knowledge of the same. “BJP can impose the ban if it will reap them political gains,” he added.