Indian Bishop asks to exempt Christians from poll duty on Maundy Thursday

Mangalore, India, 12 March 2014: Bishop Paul D’Souza of Mangalore in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, has requested the state chief election commissioner not to depute Christians on election duty on Maundy Thursday, when elections are held in the state.
If the Christian government employees and schoolteachers are put on put on election they would be deprived of attending important Maundy Thursday service, held ahead of Easter Sunday, he said.
The Bishop has also requested the Election Commission that since many schools where polling is held fall in precincts of the church, the faithful should not be put to inconvenience due to security arrangements at polling booths.
In a letter to the election Commission, the bishop noted that the election commission has scheduled Lok Sabha election in Karnataka on April 17, which is Maundy Thursday when Christians across the world commemorate Last Supper of Jesus Christ.
If Christians are posted for election duty on the day their fundamental right to practice the religion will be violated and the right guaranteed under Article 25 to 28 of the Indian Constitution will be violated, the bishop maintained.Source: Times of India