My govt's only religion is 'India'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday denounced communalism and said that nobody has right to discriminate on basis of religion.

"No one can take the law in their hands and discriminate on the grounds of community," the prime pinister said.

"My government's only religion is 'India first'," Modi said. 

"The only religious book is Indian Constitution, only prayer is welfare of all," the PM added

The assertion came a day after India's upper house of parliament was briefly adjourned after opposition members denounced comments by the leader of a Hindu group who said Roman Catholic missionary Mother Teresa had tried to convert people to Christianity.

Religious conversion has become a highly emotive issue in India recently, with debate whipped up by some supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who see multi-faith Indian as a Hindu-first nation.

Members of the upper house criticized Mohan Bhagwat, head of the country's most powerful Hindu organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who recently said Mother Teresa helped the poor to make them "obligated so that they become Christian".

Political opponents of Modi and his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which the RSS supports, said right-wing Hindu groups were fanning religious tension in a country where violence between members of different religion has been common for decades.

"First, they're trying to de-iconize Mahatma Gandhi," said P Rajeev, a member of parliament belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), referring to comments by a BJP lawmaker that described Gandhi's Hindu-nationalist assassin as a patriot.

"Now, they are trying to de-iconize Mother Teresa," Rajeev said.

There has been no major religious violence since Modi came to power in May. But at least seven Christian institutions have been vandalized or have reported arson or theft in recent weeks.