NEW DELHI: A national panel today disapproved of the controversial remarks of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Mother Teresa and called for restraint during discussion or debate regarding personalities wholly involved in selfless social service.
Without naming Bhagwat, the National Commission for Minorities in a resolution adopted today said that it is "deeply saddened" by some remarks highlighted by the media casting aspersions on the activities of the late Mother Teresa.
"The lifelong service and selfless love for her fellow humans exhibited by her has very few parallels in history. There have never been questions raised about religious bias in her humanitarian work," the five-member Commission after passing the resolution in a meeting, said.
Further, it added that the Commission will request all concerned to exercise utmost restriant during discussion or debate regarding personalities wholly involved in selfless social service.
"Harsh and unfounded criticism needlessly hurts the feelings of large sections of the society and therefore unavoidable," it said in the resolution.
In a separate message, NCM member Praveen Davar said that the RSS chief's remarks against Mother Teresa are highly objectionable and deserves "strongest possible condemnation".
"Such uncalled for statements only create communal divide and must not be utttered especially so soon after the Prime Minister's pacifying speech before a Christian audience a few days ago.
"Let us not hurt the soul of Mother Teresa, who was mother to all Indians, mother to whole humanity," Davar said.
Bhagwat had yesterday said that conversion to Christianity was the main objective behind Mother Teresa's service to poor.
"Mother Teresa's service would have been good. But it used to have one objective, to convert the person, who was being served, into a Christian," he said while speaking at a function in Rajasthan yesterday.