NCP SP spokesperson says BJP leader Shelar eying Christians support with PM-Pope banners

Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Clyde Crasto on Tuesday claimed Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar is attempting to seek support of the Christian community in the upcoming assembly polls by displaying banners of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis in his constituency.
Shelar is the sitting BJP MLA from Vandre (West) in Mumbai.
In a post on social media platform X, Crasto maintained Shelar has failed to address the challenges faced by the Christian community in the strife-torn Manipur.
The BJP leader was also silent when the graves at a cemetery linked to St Michael's Church in Mumbai's Mahim area were desecrated, alleged the NCP (SP) member.
Shelar pursued a separate political agenda when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a notice to acquire a part of St Peter's cemetery in Bandra for a private road widening project, he pointed out.
"It's important for Shelar to understand that a few individuals from the community who support him for their own reasons do not represent the entire community," Crasto said.
It's high time Shelar realised that selectively showing support for Christians through such banners will not earn him votes from the minority community, he added.
Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due in October.
Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis, the 87-year-old head of the worldwide Catholic Church, met at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy, on June 14.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)