Centre, state govt should take action against attack on priests, nuns in Odisha: CBCI

Kochi, Aug 8 (IANS) Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), on Friday urged the Odisha government and the Centre to take decisive action against those who attacked Christian priests and nuns in Jaleswar on Thursday.

“The priests and nuns had gone to attend prayer meetings and not for anything else. It is the responsibility of the state government and the Centre to take appropriate action against the attackers,” Thazhath said.

He added, “First, the attackers stopped the vehicle they were travelling in and deflated the tyres. Then their clothes were torn. The truth is that it is the Constitution itself that is being attacked.”

On Friday, the Opposition in Parliament is moving to demand a discussion on the incident in BJP-ruled states, alleging rising threats against minorities and Christian priests and nuns in particular.

According to the complaint, two Malayali priests and two Malayali nuns on their way for a prayer meeting of fellow Christians were assaulted by around 70 Bajrang Dal activists, who falsely accused them of religious conversion.

The attackers also took away one priest’s phone and assaulted local residents present at the site.

Video footage of the incident shows the victims arriving in a village in Jaleswar to attend a prayer service before their vehicle was blocked and they were attacked.

This attack comes just a week after two Kerala nuns walked out of the Central Jail in Durg, Chhattisgarh, following bail granted by a special NIA court in Bilaspur after being accused by the Bajrang Dal of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, charges that were later disproved after thorough investigation.

That case had sparked widespread outrage both in and outside Kerala.

Incidentally in Kerala all parties except the BJP had taken to the streets protesting against the increased attack on Christian’s across the country.

In the state capital city hundreds of priests and nuns marched to the official residence of the Kerala Governor to register their protest.

--IANS

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