Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (MS)
Mangaluru/Udupi, May 20: Mangalore diocese and Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh have vehemently condemned the statement of MP Shobha Karandlaje who accused that churches are misguiding people and asking them not to take Covid vaccination.
In a press release, PRO of Mangalore diocese Roy Castelino said, “The Christian community is serving the society at various levels during this difficult times of Covid19 pandemic by creating awareness in churches about Covid pandemic and also has provided helping hand to distraught people. The churches have also helped the district administration as well as the health department to open Covid care centres in the premises owned by them.
(L to R): MP Shobha Karandlaje, Roy Castelino and Mary D'Souza
“Public is informed about the vaccination programme by the Christian fraternity and also organized vaccination in church premises in the beginning when the vaccination programme started. Bishops, priests and other Christian leaders are leading from front by getting vaccinated themselves. It is painful for the Christian community to hear false statement of MP Shobha Karandlaje saying that the churches are asking their community not to take Covid vaccination,” he stated in the statement.
Meanwhile, Mary D’Souza, president of Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh, in a media release said, “The statement given by Shobha Karandlaje, MP of Udupi and Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency saying that churches are misleading their community people and preventing them from not taking the Covid vaccination is childish. We condemn this statement outright.
“The Christian community is silently serving the society under the leadership of Catholic Sabha through the Covid warriors in all the churches of Udupi district. In addition to creating awareness on taking the vaccination cutting across religious lines, our warriors have taken many people to the vaccination centers for administering the same. Christian educational institutions, prayer halls and auditoriums are converted as Covid care centers throughout the country. Christian community has considered the service with respect to health of society is service of God. MP Shobha should not forget that Christian community is always in the forefront of this service.
“Bishops, priests and other Christian leaders themselves are leading the community from front by taking the vaccination. It is not right on the part of MP Shobha Karandlaje to accuse that the churches are against Covid vaccination.
“Christian community is serving the society by providing food kits to the families who are distraught due to the lock down that is imposed by the state government. Even during the first lockdown the community has done this noble work. All these works are done by Christians silently without expecting any propaganda or appreciation. The Christian community follows the Covid guidelines laid down by the state government without fail. It has closed all the churches. It will be great if Shobha Karandlaje can make it public how the community is spreading wrong information on Covid vaccination when all the churches are closed. Otherwise, we request the MP not to give statements aiming to malign the Christian community just for publicity and propaganda.
“Instead of targeting a specific religious community for political gains, MP should try to provide more vaccinations in every health centre. This will be fitting reward to the service that the Covid warriors of our community are doing. In addition, this will also prevent people from standing in queue and returning back home without the availability of vaccine.
“I would like to convey to MP Shobha Karandlaje as well as the district administration that Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh is ready to provide any cooperation on behalf of the diocese, with regards to Covid pandemic control,” she stated in the media release.
It may be recalled, in a press conference that was held at the BJP office of Chikkamagaluru recently, MP Shobha had said, “It has come to my notice that churches in some parts of Chikkamagaluru including Mudigere and Aldur are making false propaganda not to take vaccination for Covid among people who have got converted to Christian faith. It has to be detected why and who are saying this?”
Widespread condemnation is being done by public against the statement of MP Shobha that churches are instigating people not to take Covid vaccination. She also said in her statement that people who got converted to Protestant and Pentecost factions of church are indulging this kind of false propaganda.