Source: Hindu Council UK press release
On December 9, 2005 a Hindu Council UK press release reported, "Hindus all over the world have expressed outrage and anger after a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Nikon called the Hindu God, Lord Krishna an 'evil demon' around the time of Indian Prime Minister's state visit to Moscow to meet Russian President Putin. In a letter to the Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, wired by Interfax news agency on November 30, Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Nikon called Lord Krishna 'an evil demon, the personified power of hell opposing God,' and 'a livid lascivious youth.' The Archbishop further requested the Mayor to ban construction of a proposed Hindu temple in Moscow saying it would otherwise become 'an idolatrous disgrace erected for the glory of wicked and malicious "god" Krishna.' 'Construction of the temple to Krishna offends our religious feelings and insults the thousand-year religious culture of Russia,' Interfax quoted Archbishop Nikon as saying. 'We cannot believe that in this age of respect and multi-cultural coexistence, a leader of the Russian Church chooses to make statements that are intolerant and disrespectful to one billion Hindus in the world,' said Kishore Ruparelia, speaking on behalf of the Defend Russian Hindus Campaign launched in London last week... Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, [said], 'It is unbelievable that a leader of such a powerful Church can make such disgraceful and dogmatic attempts to instigate tension between different religions. This is completely against all principles of multi-faith coexistence and cooperation that ancient and inclusive religious traditions like Hinduism stand for.'"