BJP tries to attract non Hindu members

Christian ministers and Muslims join the Party amid critics

New Delhi (AsiaNews/ Ucan) Christian leaders are decrying the recent decision of four clergy men to join the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Father Abraham Thomas, a Protestant priest of the Church of North India, and three Pentecostal ministers, Pastors Thomas David, J.J. Kochuparambil, and K. Christy John, have become party members. The BJP is considered to be the political representation of a number of powerful and sometimes violent groups that want to make India a Hindu theocratic state.

Bishop George Issac, Protestant prelate of Kerala, spoke of his shock and disapproval at Father Thomas' move and added that he will not allow Fr. Thomas to continue priestly duties in his diocese, saying that all ordained ministers are "meant to become servants of God, and not to any political parties." He spoke boldly that the BJP "lured" the ministers in order to woo Christians and Muslims, to offset the party's reputation as being Hindu fanatics.

Kerala is among the few Indian states where the group has not won a seat in the legislative assembly or in the federal parliament; 42 percent of its population are Christian and Muslim.

Theologian Jesuit Father Abraham Adapur says that despite BJP's new efforts to shed its Hindu-only image to influence the wider spectrum, people will not forget the "cruel discrimination and violence" the party has carried out against Christians and Muslims throughout the country. He regrets that Christian clergy "are falling to the allurements of power and politics offered by an anti-minority and pro-Hindu party like BJP".

Parish priest in Elamkulam, Father T.J. Jacob, elaborated, "There are hundreds of thousands of great missionary activities a priest is supposed to do. So why then should priests join politics?"

The law of the Roman Catholic Church bans priests from entering politics.

But BJP leader Pillai welcomed the four clerics, saying their move shows that the party appeals to all Indians, "irrespective of whether they are Hindus, Muslims, or Christians". Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee suggests that is it wrong to think of the BJP as a party only for Hindus. At a special gathering for Muslims in New Delhi in early March, he made the pitch, "If development happens, doesn't everyone benefit, including Muslims?" predicting the party's trend to focus more on economic issues. With current economic growth and a booming crop season in his favor, the Prime Minister is gearing up to secure another five-year term for the BJP at the general elections on April 20th to May 10th of this year.

Some Muslims think that only by infiltrating the Hindu-dominated party will they be able to cleanse the group of Anti-Muslim sentiments. "Haven't there been riots under Congress governments? Maybe Muslims can be safe only if we join the BJP", Afaque Quereshi commented after the Prime Minister's address.

Around 2000 Muslims were massacred in Gujarat 2002 under the BJP government, which has recently been further charged with concealment of murder and rape.

In an unexpected break of family tradition, Varun Gandhi and his mother Maneka have also joined the BJP. Vowing never to criticise or campaign against his aunt and cousins who lead the Congress Party, he had this to say, "Historically my family has been part of the Congress, but I believe that what my family was true to was not a party, but a value system, a tradition of self-sacrifice."

More than 670 million law-abiding Indians age 18 and above are eligible to vote, using the million voting machines purchased for the nation's first fully electronic election. Those with a criminal record will be formally banned beginning with this years election.