<p>The Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto has set off a firestorm with a letter saying the country's secular fabric is under threat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are witnessing a turbulent political atmosphere which poses a threat to the democratic principles enshrined in our constitution and the secular fabric of our nation," Couto says in his letter.</p>

<p>"It is our hallowed practice to pray for our country and its political leaders all the time but all the more so when we approach the general elections. As we look forward towards 2019 when we will have new government let us begin a prayer campaign for our country from May 13," he adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter has been sent to all of Delhi's churches along with a prayer. The letter says the prayer should be read out at Sunday mass.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Couto has also asked for fasting on Fridays.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The archbishop's secretary said prayer campaigns are conducted before every election. But that this one is being politicised.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Archbishop's letter is not political, neither it is against the Govt or against the honourable PM. Misinformation should not be spread. Its just an invitation for prayers, and such letters have been written in the past too: Father Robinson, Secretary to Archbishop of Delhi <a href="https://t.co/YTpCoKq8K0">pic.twitter.com/YTpCoKq8K0</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998778800434446336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When a govt has finished its term & in elections a govt is elected, it is a new govt. Letter doesn't say a different govt, it says new govt. So, I don't see anything controversial with the term new govt: Father Nigel Barret, Spokesperson, Bombay Archdiocese. <a href="https://t.co/1teidyKd2u">pic.twitter.com/1teidyKd2u</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998788421886754816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM is working towards inclusive growth without discriminating while breaking barriers of religion & castes.We can only ask them to think with progressive mindset: MA Naqvi, Minority Affairs Min on Archbishop's letter to priests asking to "pray for country" ahead of 2019 elections <a href="https://t.co/vYA58YsFro">pic.twitter.com/vYA58YsFro</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/998782389965897728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>"May the ethos of true democracy envelop our elections with dignity and the flames of honest patriotism enkindle our political leaders. This is our cry, Heavenly Father, in these troubled times as we see the clouds eclipsing the light of truth, justice and freedom," said the prayer sent out with the archbishop's letter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WlwTEV1bKAE" width="560"></iframe></p>


'We are witnessing a turbulent political atmosphere which poses a threat to the democratic principles enshrined in our constitution and the secular fabric of our nation,' Anil Couto says in a letter sent out to all of Delhi's churches

The Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto has set off a firestorm with a letter saying the country's secular fabric is under threat. "We are witnessing a turbulent political atmosphere which poses a threat to the democratic principles enshrined in our constitution and the secular fabric of our nation," Couto says in his letter. "It is our hallowed practice to pray for our country and its political leaders all the time but all the more so when we approach the general elections. As we look forward towards 2019 when we will have new government let us begin a prayer campaign for our country from May 13," he adds. The letter has been sent to all of Delhi's churches along with a prayer. The letter says the prayer should be read out at Sunday mass. Couto has also asked for fasting on Fridays. The archbishop's secretary said prayer campaigns are conducted before every election. But that this one is being politicised. The Archbishop's letter is not political, neither it is against the Govt or against the honourable PM. Misinformation should not be spread. Its just an invitation for prayers, and such letters have been written in the past too: Father Robinson, Secretary to Archbishop of Delhi pic.twitter.com/YTpCoKq8K0 — ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2018 × When a govt has finished its term & in elections a govt is elected, it is a new govt. Letter doesn't say a different govt, it says new govt. So, I don't see anything controversial with the term new govt: Father Nigel Barret, Spokesperson, Bombay Archdiocese. pic.twitter.com/1teidyKd2u — ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2018 × PM is working towards inclusive growth without discriminating while breaking barriers of religion & castes.We can only ask them to think with progressive mindset: MA Naqvi, Minority Affairs Min on Archbishop's letter to priests asking to "pray for country" ahead of 2019 elections pic.twitter.com/vYA58YsFro — ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2018 × "May the ethos of true democracy envelop our elections with dignity and the flames of honest patriotism enkindle our political leaders. This is our cry, Heavenly Father, in these troubled times as we see the clouds eclipsing the light of truth, justice and freedom," said the prayer sent out with the archbishop's letter.

India's secular fabric under threat: Archbishop of Delhi

<p>The American rock group Green Day has released a video to accompany their new single, Troubled Times. The lyrics and images in the video are heavily critical of President-elect Donald Trump. The video was released just&nbsp;days before Trump is set to become the president of the United States.</p>

<p>The song depicts&nbsp;today&#39;s political climate&nbsp;as a bleak landscape filled with &quot;racism, Islamophobia and war&quot;,&nbsp;which is embodied ultimately&nbsp;by Donald Trump. Images of votes cast into the garbage are set against the rise of&nbsp;Trump.</p>

<p>Trump&#39;s face is juxtaposed against&nbsp;Nazi swastikas and the hoods of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), an ultra-violent hate group whose <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/01/the-kkks-official-newspaper-has-endorsed-donald-trump-for-president/?utm_term=.18079e64ce25">newspaper openly praised</a>&nbsp;Trump.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>Watch the video for Troubled&nbsp;Times:</em></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9cVJr3eQfXc" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Green Day has criticised Donald Trump before. At the American Music Awards, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong&nbsp;started a chant from the stage: &quot;No Trump,&nbsp;No KKK,&nbsp;No Fascist USA!&quot;</p>

<p>They also inserted Donald Trump&#39;s name in their 2004&nbsp;hit song, &quot;American Idiot&quot; when they sang it&nbsp;on November 7, a day before the US election, at the MTV EMA&nbsp;awards show.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Watch the video linking Donald Trump to imagery of the Nazi swastika and the hoods of the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan

The American rock group Green Day has released a video to accompany their new single, Troubled Times. The lyrics and images in the video are heavily critical of President-elect Donald Trump. The video was released just days before Trump is set to become the president of the United States. The song depicts today's political climate as a bleak landscape filled with "racism, Islamophobia and war", which is embodied ultimately by Donald Trump. Images of votes cast into the garbage are set against the rise of Trump. Trump's face is juxtaposed against Nazi swastikas and the hoods of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), an ultra-violent hate group whose newspaper openly praised Trump. Watch the video for Troubled Times: Green Day has criticised Donald Trump before. At the American Music Awards, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong started a chant from the stage: "No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA!" They also inserted Donald Trump's name in their 2004 hit song, "American Idiot" when they sang it on November 7, a day before the US election, at the MTV EMA awards show. (WION)

Green Day releases anti-Trump video for new single, Troubled Times

troubled-times

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