Kanyakumari: Strongly reacting to Pope John Paul's criticism of anti-conversion Law enacted in some states and his call to the Church to "courageously" continue with evengelisation in India, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on July 6 said this was a "direct challenge" to the sovereignty of the country and asked the government to lodge a strong protest with the pontiff.

The Pope had made an uncalled for interference in the internal affairs of the country when he commented that "unfortunately, in some regions in India state authorities had yielded to the pressures of (Hindu) extremists and had passed unjust anti-conversion Laws and exhorted the Church to courageously continue with evangelisation", the RSS national executive said in a resolution adopted at its ongoing conclave.

The Pope's recent statement calling as "unjust" the anti-conversion Laws promulgated in some states was highly condemnable and a direct challenge to India's sovereignty, it said.

It urged the government to lodge a protest with the Pope for his uncalled for exhortation to Christian missionaries to carry on with their conversion activities defying the Law of the land.

"India's attitude of peace and tolerance should not be construed as a licence to anyone to infringe on our national ethos," it said.

PTI