Attack on churches could affect foreign investment: Sanjay Kirloskar

HANNOVER: Industrialist Sanjay Kirloskar today said that incidents like church attacks could affect foreign investment in India.

"We are a secular nation and we always have been a tolerant nation but these kinds of things, small incidents, that might take place in Delhi or Mumbai.

"In this age of Twitter and Internet everything goes across very quickly and specially if its churches then people might get upset and we have to understand that most of the investment that we want is from Christian countries," he told a news channel at the international trade fair here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel today inaugurated the India Pavilion at the fair in which India is a partner country.

Kirloskar, the Chairman and Managing Director of Kirloskar Brothers which is the flagship company of the Kirloskar Group, said the welcome has been very good but there has been "a slight concern that India (should) protect Indian minorities".

"I am sure that the Prime Minister is talking to his people ... we have to send the right messages and make sure that this development story doesn't get sidelined," he said.

The Prime Minister had said that his government is committed to protect the right of every individual to adopt and retain the religion of his choice.

Since the beginning of December 2014, five churches have been attacked in Delhi and two convents have been broken into. The Christian community has repeatedly expressed its insecurity and apprehension.