BJP’s Easter Outreach: Mixed Reactions from Delhi’s Christian Community
The BJP’s recent outreach initiative to build trust with the Christian community in Delhi on Easter Sunday has sparked mixed reactions among residents. Led by BJP leader Ashish Sood, party workers visited nearly 1,000 Christian households in West Delhi to distribute Easter greeting cards in the Prime Minister’s name.
This campaign, which coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gole Market, was seen as a positive step by some members of the community. Father Aloysius, an assistant parish priest, welcomed the PM’s gesture but expressed a desire for more concrete actions to support minorities.
While some residents like Keith Tirkey appreciated the effort, others like Baleshwar Rai highlighted the challenges faced by the community, citing a recent incident of threats during a book fair. Rai emphasized the need for the PM to address issues of religious intolerance within his own followers.
Despite claims that the outreach was not aimed at securing Christian votes in the upcoming elections, concerns remain about the treatment of minorities in the country. A. C. Michael, president of a Catholic association, called on the PM to take action against groups targeting Christians with false allegations of forced conversions.
The BJP’s outreach initiative has brought attention to the complex relationship between the party and minority communities in Delhi, with calls for more meaningful engagement and concrete measures to address religious intolerance.