PM Narendra Modi on Monday praised the Christian community for its contribution to the country and acknowledged its role in giving direction to society and its sense of service.
Interacting with members of the community at his residence on the occasion of Christmas, the PM recalled his old, intimate and warm relations with Christians since his days as Gujarat CM and said they had always been at the forefront in serving the poor and the deprived.
"The Christian community has always played a role in providing guidance to society. It has always been active in social service," the PM said.
"Your community has always been in the forefront to help the poor and the deprived. The institutions set up by the Christian community continue to make an important contribution in the fields of healthcare and education," Modi said as he played host to a gathering of Christians, comprising priests and others, at a ceremony marked by the singing of Christmas carols by a local school choir. The PM said he offered to host the celebration when a delegation of the Indian Minority Foundation approached him with the request to celebrate Christmas with them.
P M Narendra Modi stated that he offered to host the celebration when a delegation of the Indian Minority Foundation approached him with the request to celebrate Christmas with them, adding that he has a long association with the community, which has a strong presence in his old assembly constituency of Maninagar. Later, Bishop Simon Joseph stated that it was the first time a Prime Minister had invited members of the Christian community to his official residence to celebrate Christmas together.
