Protests over Pope's speech on Islam

Major political parties on Friday criticised Pope Benedict XVI for his comments made earlier in the week on Islam and Prophet Mohammed.
Taking strong exception to the remarks, Congress party spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said: "The Pope should have spoken with more wisdom. He is not merely the head of a religion, he is also the head of a state (Vatican)."

"He has every right to propagate his own religion. But he should not have demeaned another religion nor hurt their sentiments," Chaturvedi told reporters.
Addressing the University of Regensburg in his home country, Bavaria-born Benedict quoted 14th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus who had said: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
Asked if the party demands an apology from the pontiff, Chaturvedi said: "We are not demanding anything. We are leaving it to his wisdom."

The BJP's reaction was stronger. "The pope should immediately clarify his position and if he has actually made the remarks he should apologise," senior party leader Mukthar Abbas Naqvi said.
According to him, the Roman Catholic pontiff should have told the George W. Bush administration to check the "US terrorism" instead of making such remarks against Islam.
"Comments like this from a man holding such a key religious position are capable of creating hurdles in the way of world harmony," Naqvi said.
Christians constitute 2.34 percent or 24 million of India's billion plus population and Roman Catholics are 18 million.