Coimbatore, June 16: Endorsing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's views that Pope John Paul II had 'no business' in commenting on the Anti-Conversion Bill, state BJP president C P Radhakrishnan today said it was 'unfortunate' and 'painful' for a religious leader to talk about an issue concerning another country. "The Pope should have avoided making such remarks, particularly with regard to a law concerning a state in another country, which can possibly lead to creating friction among communities," Radhakrishnan told a meet the press programme. Pointing out that the freedom to preach any religion was better in India than in Europe and the US, he said there were chances of a rift being created among religions 'due to forcible conversions'. The anti-conversion law was not aimed at any particular community but only against those who indulged in forcible conversion, by allurement and threat, he said.
On Jayalalithaa's remarks that the party would not support the Congress if Sonia Gandhi was projected as the prime ministerial candidate, he claimed it was not the opinion of the chief minister alone, but of 'crores of Indians’. Bureau Report