VCK urges Oppn to nominate Christian candidate for Presidential polls

CHENNAI: VCK Chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Tuesday urged the Opposition parties to nominate a common candidate from Christian community for the upcoming Presidential election.

"In the last 8 years of BJP rule, not just Muslims but Christians have also been targeted and attacked. By enacting anti-conversion Acts Christians are attacked across the country. Pastors are attacked and Churches are demolished by Sangh Parivar men. Under the circumstances if a person from the Christian community is made the President it will not just eradicate fear among Christians but also put an end to hate politics," said Thirumavalavan, in a tweet.

The election for President of India is scheduled on July 18 and both the ruling and opposition parties are busy in selecting candidates. Thirumavalavan said that in the last 75 years after Independence no one from Christian community has become the Indian President.

"It should be noted that persons from various communities including Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits and women were made Indian President but no one from Christian community was made the President. Christians are the third largest community in the country with a population of 2.78 crore (according to 2011 census) but they are very scarcely represented in the Parliament. In the current Parliament, Christians and other minorities excluding Muslims form only 4 percent of MPs. BJP with the intention to unite Hindus and to marginalise the minorities is thriving on hate politics and it will continue its hate politics in the President election too. It is right time for opposition parties to unite by nominating a person from Christian community in the President election," said Thirumavalavan.

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