Madurai: President of the United Christian Council, Bishop Anthony Pappusamy, on June 15 strongly condemned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's remarks against Pope John Paul II.

In a statement, he said Jayalalithaa was allegedly fanning "hate politics" and using her party's majority has brought the anti-conversion law, which "violated the basic human and religious rights".

The Chief Minister's criticism against the Pope "showed her immaturity and bias", he said.

Stating that religious rights and human rights were protected by the international declarations and conventions, he said the Pope, as the member of the United Nations, had every right to condemn the violation of religious rights in Tamil Nadu.

He warned that Christians would be forced to launch an agitation if the Chief Minister did not withdraw the statement against the Pope.

On June 13, Jayalalithaa had said the Pope had no business to talk about the anti-conversion laws enacted by a democratically elected governments in India.

PTI