Headlines
RSS chief's comment on Mother Teresa sparks controversy
Jaipur, Feb 23
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's
comments on Mother Teresa Monday evoked controversy but the organisation
denied he had criticised the Nobel laureate who spent her life in the
service of the destitute.
Bhagwat, while addressing a function of
a local NGO near Bharatpur, said Mother Teresa's service to the poor
was aimed at converting them to Christianity.
"People like Mother
Teresa did good work and service. But the aim was to convert the poor
to Christianity. This kind of service is devalued if conversions are
done in the name of service or work," he said.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot termed the statement "unfortunate".
"She left her country and spent her life to provide service to the poor. It is really a very unfortunate statement," he said.
State
Congress president Sachin Pilot, while criticising the statement by
Bhagwat, said: "By giving these kind of statements, they (the RSS) are
trying to create a religious divide. Mother Teresa comes from which
religion does not matter, what matters most is the service she provided
to the poor."
Some Christian community leaders and NGOs in the state also flayed the statement.
However, the RSS said the statement was mis-attributed.
"Media
reporting wrongly. At Bharatpur Ex DG BSF said that Mother Teresa did
Seva with motive of conversion," said a tweet on RSS' official Twitter
handle.
"In reply Bhagavatji said, 'let Mother Teresa know her
motive for Seva, we do Seva without expecting any returns' Dr M Vaidya,"
said another tweet.