Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly condemned the assault of a Christian pastor in Odisha.
In a post on X on Friday, he said the attack was “not an isolated crime,” but reflected an atmosphere of violence and hatred that, he alleged, is being systematically fostered by the Sangh Parivar.
Referring to reports that the pastor was forced to consume cow dung, Mr. Vijayan described the act as “deeply inhuman” and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments of silence and complicity that embolden such crimes.
Call for resistance
He also drew a parallel with the murder of missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons in 1999. The Chief Minister said that even 27 years later, the same forces of intolerance continue to operate with impunity. He warned that the secular fabric of the country was under sustained attack across India and called for firm resistance against what he termed a coordinated attempt to undermine constitutional democracy and impose communal politics.
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan also issued a sharp condemnation, alleging that the attack was carried out by Bajrang Dal activists.
In his post on X, the Congress leader said that the assault was “utterly unconstitutional” and involved public humiliation, violence and coercion. He added the incident exposed the “brutal face” of anti-Christian hatred and termed the situation “mob rule, not democracy.”
Published – January 23, 2026 08:15 pm IST
