In a statement signed on 25 April by some activists from Gujarat including Hiren Gandhi and Fr. Cedric Prakash sj, the signatories condemned the BJP and the right wing groups’ complaint against Fr Frazer Mascarenha’s letter to the Election Commission. “The principal only highlighted what all right minded, civil society groups, leading academics, journalists and citizens have been critiquing – the so-called Gujarat Model of Development – in the larger interest of the country. This in no way makes him or any other sectarian or communal as BJP and its allies allege,” said the statement.
“BJP and its allies have been uncharacteristically silent when the likes of Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar have overtly and covertly canvassed for BJP and Modi. They have never been called communal or sectarian by these groups. This clearly exposes double standards,” it added.