The Catholic Secular Forum has decided to drop all charges against a former Shiv Sena corporator from Pune, after he tendered an unconditional apology for hurting the sentiments of the Catholic community by printing the photo of a cigarette-smoking and beer can-toting Jesus Christ on a 2013 calendar.
The corporator distributed the calendar among the residents of Kondhwa in Pune.
According to the CSF, the corporator had used a photo available on Google and hence, in light of his apology, they decided against raking up the issue as it “would create disharmony among people”.
On Sunday, after the CSF got wind of around 3,000 copies of a 2013 calendar being distributed by Tanaji Lonkar, bearing the photo of Jesus Christ holding a smoking cigarette in one hand and a can of beer in the other, they dashed off a letter to the commissioner of the Pune police to take cognisance of the same. A couple of CSF members from Pune also filed a case in the court on Monday.
“When Mr Lonkar was called by the police for an inquiry into the matter, he realised the mistake and blamed the designer of the page Sagar B. However, he accepted the mistake and took moral responsibility and promised to withdraw the calendars with immediate effect,” said Joseph Dias, general secretary, CSF.