ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said that the disruption of Christmas gatherings and burning of the Santa Claus effigy manifested the emerging real face of the fascists Hindutva India.

The president was commenting on a news report on the freezing of the bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity (MoC) in West Bengal by the Narendra Modi government, after protests over Christmas celebrations. “The real face of fascist Hindutva India is emerging where Hindu vigilante groups disrupted Christmas mass in many parts of India & burnt a Santa Claus effigy chanting slogans against Xmas celebrations & religious conversions. World beware before it is too late,” the president tweeted.

Hindu vigilante groups disrupted Christmas mass in parts of India, including in Modi’s core territory ahead of local elections in the coming months, according to the media reports.

They accused the MoC of leading religious conversion programmes under the guise of charity by offering poor Hindus and tribal communities money, free education and shelter.