The Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), a Hyderabad-based legal activism organization have written to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs seeking action against ‘Harvest India’, a Christian missionary organization headed by one Kattera Suresh Kumar, for collecting foreign funds through fraudulent misrepresentation.
The complaint states while Suresh Kumar has been representing to various government officials that he is a practising Hindu for the past several years, he has been presenting himself as a devout Christian who is committed ‘to carry Christ’s compassion to every village in India’.
“For a number of years, Mr. Kathera Suresh Kumar has by using the title of Bishop, by his words and actions, held out to the world at large that he is a Christian Bishop. In the official newsletters of Harvest India published periodically and sent out to donors abroad, Mr. Suresh Kumar represented himself as a Christian Bishop. Despite several representations to government officials to declare Mr. Kattera Suresh Kumar as a Christian, they repeatedly produced voluminous evidence that he is hardcore and devout Hindu, through his written affidavits filed before the government officials. Thus, Mr. Kattera Suresh Kumar has fraudulently maintained a dual religious identity as a Hindu in India and as a Christian to the rest of the world.”, the complaint noted.
The complaint also added that Suresh Kumar has travelled extensively to various countries holding out he is a Christian Evangelist/Bishop and collected millions of rupees as Foreign Donation to his organization ‘Harvest India’ through FCRA route and for propagating Christianity in India.
“‘Harvest India’, the organization of which Mr. Kathera Suresh Kumar is the president, received crores of amount from Foreign Church organizations for Christian religious activities, preacher & priest training programs and other Christian religious functions. The same has been mentioned in the FCRA Returns filed by Harvest India with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the financial years 2007-08 to 2013-14. But Mr Kattera Suresh Kumar, through his sworn affidavit before the district administration officials that he has not carried out any Christian religious/evangelist activity and that Harvest India is not at all a Religious Organization. (Copies of FCRA Returns Attached).”, the complaint noted.
The complaint further mentioned that soliciting charitable donations to preach and propagate Christianity while covertly diverting the money to a personal empire/other activities not intended by the donors is reprehensible.
Speaking to the Commune, Working President of LRPF A.S. Santhosh said “If Harvest India is not a religious organisation, then why it has built a huge church named King’s Temple at its Garuvupalem campus? If donors gave money for helping poor families, students, leprosy patients, trafficked women etc., and if these funds have been diverted for construction of a massive church for Christian worship, it amounts to cheating the donors, furnishing false information through FCRA returns, under sworn affidavit to Govt. of India.”
“Mr. Kattera Suresh Kumar, in his sworn affidavits, denied that he has any Christian Theological Qualifications but, to the outside world, through his websites, videos, talk-shows he represented himself as a qualified Christian Preacher”, he said.
“FCRA returns submitted to the Government of India, Harvest India has concealed the fact that they are running Bible colleges and getting foreign funds for this purpose. The location of these Bible colleges and details of pastors trained in these 10 Bible Colleges should be ascertained through enquiry. In all probability, this appears to be another fabrication to attract donations from donors.”, he further added.
It was earlier reported by The Commune that Kattera Suresh Kumar has made several anti-Hindu hate speeches while touring the USA and other countries. He has abused Hindus and Hindu religion and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in the most objectionable language. He accused PM Modi was ‘determined to wipe out Christians from India and make India a Hindu country. He said that in India pastors are being killed, churches are being burnt.
In light of these revelations, the LRPF has petitioned to suspend the FCRA license of Harvest India and arrest Suresh Kumar for fraudulently soliciting funds from abroad.
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