Christians are living in constant fear and insecure conditions in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-governed States of the country due to the high-handedness of the Sangh Parivar organisations, according to the Syro-Malabar media commission.
The communal elements are encroaching upon the democratic rights of the minorities in these States. The Union government should intervene to end the atrocities committed against the Christians, said a statement issued by Fr. Tom Olikkarott, PRO of the Church, while protesting against a reported attack on priests and nuns in Gangadhar village of Jaleswar in Odisha by suspected Bajrang Dal activists on Thursday.
Two priests, Fr. Lijo Nirappel and Fr. V. Jijo, were reportedly attacked by a 70-member-strong Bajrang Dal group. The miscreants snatched away the mobile phones of the priests and damaged their vehicles, said a statement issued by the commission.
The commission said the police remained mute spectators to the attack. It was the reluctance of the authorities to act against the attackers of nuns in Chhattisgarh that encouraged the miscreants in Odisha and attack the minorities, it said.
Published â August 07, 2025 11:46 pm IST
