India's most prominent right-wing Hindu nationalist group has blasted Christianity and criticised Pope John Paul II for his reported remarks on religious freedom in India.
The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS or national volunteers corp) on Friday called Christianity an "intolerant, exclusivist and supremacist" religious doctrine.
It condemned alleged remarks made by the pope, to a gathering of Indian bishops at the Vatican last month, where he exhorted them to carry out evangelism in India, "ignoring anti-conversion laws", the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported.
"The utterances of the pope are tantamount to a direct challenge to India and its pluralist tradition," RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said.
"We urge the government of India to register their strong protest to the head of the Vatican for his intemperate remarks on Indian laws. We urge the people of India to understand the sinister designs of the missionaries of these exclusivist, supremacist and intolerant faiths and be vigilant," he added.
John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council, denied the pope ever made the remarks.
"The pope addressed an Indian church delegation to the Vatican last month. He expressed his concern at laws that are being claimed as protecting religious freedom but instead suppress religious freedom. We have always maintained these are black laws."
"I think the pope as spiritual head of the Catholic church is quite within his right to express his deep concern whenever his followers are under duress," he said.
Several state governments in India have recently passed laws banning forcible religious conversions. The RSS and its political ally, the ruling BJP party, have been at the forefront of this campaign.
Christians account for a mere two percent of India's population but have of late come under virulent attack by Hindu nationalists who claim Christian missionaries are forcibly converting Hindus.