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BJP labels slain missionary a 'social criminal'

Bibhuti Mishra in Bhubaneswar

The Bharatiya Janata Party has added fuel to the fire lit by the miscreants who burnt Graham Stains and his two sons alive in Manoharpur village of Orissa on January 22 by calling the Australian missionary a "social criminal".

Aira Kharavela Swain, the party's member of Parliament from Balasore, said there was a lot of dissatisfaction in the area on account of Stains' role in mass conversions, contrary to the belief that he was a very popular man.

According to Swain, Stains played a leading role in converting many Hindu tribals to Christianity. He also accused the late missionary of having caused several clashes between the two communities.

Swain said the missionaries are out to destroy Hinduism because of its liberal attitude and challenged them to convert Muslims.

At the press conference attended by the state BJP's organising secretary, Congress president Sonia Gandhi was labelled a 'Christian agent' while the Bajrang Dal was given a clean chit in the Manoharpur murders.

Interestingly, the team of three Union ministers that visited the village this week has ruled out Staines's involvement in proselytisation.

The Christian attacks row

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