Indian state restores Good Friday holiday
New Delhi , Feb. 09 (CWNews.com) – Officials in India ‘s western Gujarat state have restored Good Friday to a list of public holidays, after heavy pressure from local Christians.
Last year the ruling Baratiya Janata Party (BJP), which is heavily influenced by militant Hindus, took Good Friday off the list of state holidays. The All India Christian Council protested that move, taking the case to court, and finally won a victory. On February 1 the BJP leadership announced the restoration of the holiday.
Gujarat has been the scene of frequent conflicts between Hindu zealots and other religious groups in recent years. Christian and Muslim leaders, along with other religious minorities, have insisted that state government authorities must take action to protect other religious groups.
