Mangaluru: “The venue of Deepavali celebration has been shifted near Kadri Park as Bhajaranga Dal and VHP objected to celebrate it at Kadri temple premises,” said Chief Whip of the government in Legislative Assembly Ivan D’Souza.

Addressing the media personnel on Thursday at his office in MCC, he said that last year he had organised Iftar party during Ramadan month and this year he had planned to celebrate Deepavali. There was no intention to hurt the feelings of Hindu community.

“Being a responsible citizen and chief whip of state council I don’t want to create any communal misunderstandings. The problems were created by the members of Vishwa Hindu Parishat and Bhajaranga Dal,” he said.

He further said that VHP leaders’ statement asking me convert as Hindu is not at all correct. Even M B Puranik was serving a teacher in a Catholic High School. He knows endowment act better than me, as he has studied more than me.

“Just to avoid the communal misleading and to retain the communal harmony I have shifted the venue of Deepavali celebrations,” he added.

Congress leaders were present in the press conference.