Speaking to the media, Mr. Sudarshan, stated that 95 to 98 per cent of Muslims and Christians were of Indian origin and wondered “how an individual or a community with roots in this country could consider itself a minority class.”
Elaborating that only the Jews and Persians belonged to the minority community in this country as their ancestors were from outside India, he said Muslims and Christians of this country should stop treating themselves as “members of the minority community.”
The RSS supremo also criticized the Church, saying that it should change its mindset and “feel Indian and act as Indian.”
Mr. Sudarshan’s visits to Jalandhar and later to Amritsar were met with widespread protests.
In Jalandhar, in spite of police security being beefed up for fear of attacks against the churches in both urban and rural areas, a clash took place between activists of the Hindu Yuva Manch (RSS youth wing) and Punjab Christian Movement (PCM) demonstrators, who were demanding a ban on the RSS chief’s presence.
Two RSS activists received serious injuries in the incident. According to news reports, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr. Ishwar Singh has filed criminal charges against five PCM members including its president Hamid Masih, and activists Surinder Gill, Anil Kumar, Freddy Joseph and Lal Chand.
Indian news agency, New Kerala, has quoted Chhavi Bhaskar Bhardwaj, convener of the Punjab unit of the Hindu group Hindu Bajrang Dal as saying that his organization "will be forced to take the extreme step of announcing an economic boycott of Christians" if "a stern action" was not taken against the Christian group by local authorities.
Meanwhile, in Amritsar, the police arrested at least 30 Sikh activists on September 29 for burning an effigy of Mr. Sudarshan in protest against his inflammatory speeches against their community.
“Mr. Sudarshan is deliberately inciting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by continuing to claim that Sikhs are a part of Hindus. Unless this is stopped, stern action will be taken against him,” said Mr. Ritender Singh, convener of GURSIKH, a Panthic organization.
The Sikhs were joined in their protests by some Christian and Muslim organizations as well.
“He (Mr. Sudarshan) is unwanted in the state as he is always distorting and misrepresenting the unique identity of the Sikh community,” said Bhai Mohkam Singh, a spokesman for Damdami Taksal. “We do not need a certificate from him about our distinct identity.”
“Mr. Sudarshan’s statements are contradictory and should not be given any importance,” said Mr. Tarlochan Singh, Chairman, National Minority Commission. “They are not going to affect the community at all.”
Surojit Chatterjee
Christian Today Correspondent