A Christian priest at Talala in Junagadh district of Gujarat has been arrested for allegedly ``damaging'' a Ganesh idol.
The All-India Christian Council (AICC) joint secretary, Samson Christian, said that it was a totally ``fabricated charge'' and alleged the involvement of the local BJP and Sangh Parivar activists to ``harass'' the priest. The priest, Suresh Thackeray, who, AICC sources claimed, is a distant relative of the Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Thackeray, having taken to Christianity, was running an orphanage at Talala under the banner of the Grace Ministry of India, a Christian organisation. From the current academic year, he had also started an English medium school in the small town, which, Mr. Christian claimed, was disliked by Sangh Parivar activists.
He alleged that Parivar activists forced Mr. Thackeray to pay a certain amount to a driver of his school bus. When he refused they filed a police complaint against the priest of damaging a Ganesh idol.When the Superintendent of Police was informed that the priest was let off. But this afternoon, he was again put under arrest by the Veraval police on the same charges.
In a letter to the Director-General of Police, Mr. Christian questioned the presence of a Ganesh idol in the Christian institution and claimed that the entire issue had been fabricated. The DGP had promised to inquire into the episode and take necessary steps.