BREAKING THEIR silence over the controversy caused by Pope Benedict’s statement, the BJP leaders today criticised both the Muslims and the Pope for the controversy.
Talking to the HT, BJP leader Anoop Awasthi said, “Pope has no right to hurt the sentiments of any particular community or caste.” He, however, was also critical of the reaction of Muslims on this issue. “This is not the right way to demonstrate their protest,” he said.
“It is true that in the name of Jehad, terrorism is fast spreading its roots in India. Thus, the statement of Pope holds ground in the light of the current situation,” he said. If Pope’s statement is wrong, then so is the announcement of reward on the cartoonist who desecrated Prophet Mohammed by state Haj minister Yaqoob Qureshi, he said.
According to another BJP leader Yogendra, “Pope’s statement has been manipulated. It was not his intention to hurt the sentiments of any particular community.” As far as I think, Pope said this because Muslims are involved in most of the terrorist attacks, he added.
Saad, a mass communication student, felt that it was wrong on the part of the Pope to assume that Prophet used sword to spread terrorism. “He used it as the last resort and Pope’s apology proved that what he had said was wrong,” he added. Fauzia Shanam, a bank employee also held the Pope responsible for the controversy. “If the Pope holds the highest position for Christians so does the Prophet for Muslims. So he has no right to make such comments,” she said.
Though she did not doubt Pope’s intentions behind the statement, she felt the way he said it was wrong.
{{/usCountry}}Though she did not doubt Pope’s intentions behind the statement, she felt the way he said it was wrong.
{{/usCountry}}Rafik Ahmed, a city-based businessman, asked the people to stop manipulating the statement of Pope. “He holds a respectable position for Christians and whatever he says has a meaning. We should look at his comments in the right perspective,” he said.