Hundreds of BJP cadres and Hindu activists staged a roadblock since morning on Saturday (June 19), demanding the removal of an unauthorized church erected near the Mathur Aqueduct in Kalkulam Taluk of Kanyakumari district.
More than 300 people belonging to the RSS and Hindu Munnani along with local villagers were arrested for staging roadblocks at around 50 places. Nagercoil BJP MLA M.R. Gandhi and BJP Kanyakumari District President Dharmaraj were also arrested.
Locals alleged that the church has been built illegally without permission. One of the Hindu Munnani leaders The Commune spoke to said that as per the Venugopal Commission report, no Church can be built even on private land leave alone public land post the Mandaikadu communal riots. He said that Christian missionaries clandestinely take over a building on rent and erect a cross later. “Sometimes, they build a structure without permission and function without electricity connection for years. Later, they use their influence and regularize the Church. There are hundreds of Churches in the district like this.”, he said.
Those arrested were later released in the evening. BJP MLA M.R. Gandhi along with BJP District President Dharmaraj, RSS leader Rajendran, Misa Soman from Hindu Munnani and other Hindu activists held a consultation with the sub-collector. The sub-collector had said that permission was not granted to build a new church and that as an interim arrangement, the building would be covered by tarpaulin.
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