Pastor Mervin Naidu
Religious leaders condemned a viral video clip of Pastor Mervin Naidu who claimed he was fostering religious cohesion while telling his congregation to pray over food from Hindu prayers before eating it to kill the "demons".
Naidu, 56, the pastor of Cornerstone Ministries in Silverglen, Chatsworth, removed the video from the church’s social media pages after receiving death threats last week.
On Friday, he visited the Sithambaram Alayam in Bayview with police to speak with the temple’s priest Ravi Govender, about his sharing of the video, which resulted in Naidu receiving further threats. He also claimed that people had threatened to destroy the church.
Naidu said that while he apologised to Govender, the Hindu community misinterpreted his message during the sermon. Therefore, there was no need for him to issue a public apology.
