Kerala Priests, Nuns Allegedly Assaulted By Bajrang Dal Activists In Odisha
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) demands stringent action against culprits
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In yet another attack on Christians, 70 Bajrang Dal activists assaulted two Catholic priests, two nuns and a Bible teacher from Kerala in Jaleswar in Odisha, after accusing the clergy of promoting religious conversions Wednesday. The incident came close on the heels of the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh, which had triggered a major controversy.
Fr Lijo Nirappel, parish priest of Jaleswar, and Fr V. Jojo of Joda Parish in the Diocese of Balasore, were assaulted by the group while visiting the Gangadhar mission station to conduct a mass as part of the death anniversary of two local Christian men.
According to reports, Bajrang Dal activists blocked their path and assaulted them. The assailants reportedly punched the nuns and priests, snatched their mobile phones, and continued the assault even after local women clarified that the clergy had been invited for prayer services.
During the attack, the crowd shouted accusations, claiming the clergy were trying to convert locals by force. They also declared that under BJP rule, Christian conversions would no longer be tolerated. "Odisha is not a BJD-ruled state. The BJP is in power, and we will not allow you to carry out conversions," many in the crowd screamed.
It is alleged that the police reached the scene of the crime nearly an hour after the attack, but the mob refused to disperse. Both priests sustained injuries in the incident.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference and India (CBCI) condemned the attack and demanded action against those behind the incident. They expressed concern over the increasing violence against minority communities in BJP-ruled states.
AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, Kodikunnil Suresh and Jose K. Mani criticised the BJP government for sitting like a spectator. He demanded stringent action against those responsible for the attack and accused the Sangh Parivar outfits of terrorising Christians and other minorities.
Kerala education minister V. Sivankutty slammed the Sangh Parivar outfits for targeting Christian missionaries. He stated that the Christian community should recognise that the BJP- Sangh Parivar, which is trying to woo them, was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.