A legislator from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sparked outrage after offering a cash reward for attacking Christian evangelists.
Gopichand Padalkar, the BJP representative for the Jat constituency in Sangli district, Maharashtra, announced during a public speech that he would reward anyone who assaults those allegedly visiting villages to carry out religious conversions, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Padalkar made the remarks following the suicide of a 28-year-old woman in Sangli district. The woman, who was four months pregnant, reportedly took her life due to pressure from her in-laws to convert to Christianity and an alleged dowry demand.
In a speech delivered on 18 June, Padalkar said: “Whoever does the work of [religious] conversion, and if our people do ‘Sairat’”—a reference to honour killings, drawn from the Marathi film <em>Sairat</em>—“to that person, then I will personally give a reward of $13,000.”
The remarks provoked condemnation from Christian leaders and activists across Maharashtra, a state in western India that includes Mumbai and was formerly known as Bombay. Christians make up less than one per cent of the population, though there are significant communities in urban areas.
The BJP is also the party of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and is widely considered to be the political wing of the RSS, a Hindu nationalist organisation. Critics claim that life has grown increasingly difficult for religious minorities—including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists—since Modi first took office in 2014.
Protests have been held in various towns and cities in Maharashtra calling for Padalkar to be prosecuted for inciting violence. On 30 June, Christians in Jalna district staged a demonstration condemning Padalkar’s alleged threats against priests, holding placards and demanding that a criminal case be filed.
Archbishop Elias Gonsalves of Nagpur said it was “regrettable” that an elected official could offer a financial reward for violence. “We are against forced conversions,” he told <em>Crux</em>. “India is a democratic institution with secular credentials and constitutional guarantees. Our sincere condolences for the tragic passing of the 28-year-old woman, who was four months pregnant. We pray for the repose of her soul.”
The BJP has formally condemned Padalkar’s comments. Agnelo Fernandes, general secretary of the BJP’s Mumbai branch and a representative of the party’s Minority Morcha, said Padalkar’s words were “highly irresponsible” and did not reflect the party’s official stance.
“As a Christian myself,” Fernandes said, “I can say with conviction that the Christian community in India does not support forced religious conversions. While we acknowledge that there may be a few individuals or fringe groups acting for personal gain, it is both unfair and dangerous to paint the entire community with the same brush.”
He also urged Padalkar to engage directly with Christian leaders to understand their values and contributions.
