Jaleswar: A harrowing account has emerged from Gangadhar village in Odisha’s Jaleswar region, where a group of around 70 Bajrang Dal activists allegedly unleashed a brutal, targeted assault on Catholic clergy, including two Malayali priests and nuns. The victims were accused of religious conversion a charge the Church categorically denies.
Nun Elesa Cherian, one of the victims, recounted her trauma with chilling clarity. “They shouted, ‘Remember, BJP is in power!’ and threw my Bible to the ground. I was held hostage for over two hours,” she said. “We were returning from prayers when the mob blocked us. They tore the priest’s cassock, threw down his motorcycle, tried to drain the petrol, and snatched our phones,” she added.
The victims include Fr. Lijo Nirappal, parish priest of Jaleswar, and Fr. V. Lijo from the Joda parish of Balasore diocese. Both are Malayali priests who were in the area for pastoral work. The attackers reportedly beat the priests mercilessly and also targeted the funeral service attendees earlier in the day.
From Kochi, the family of Fr. Lijo confirmed the horrifying details. “They told him they would not allow Christians to live. They beat him even though he clearly said he was only there to pray,” said K.V. John, the priest’s father. “When the police came after 45 minutes the mob stopped them too. The officers eventually escorted the priests away, claiming it was for questioning, just to defuse the situation.”
According to the family, no legal action has yet been taken against the attackers. “Kerala officials told us not to intervene. Earlier there were isolated incidents, but since BJP came to power, these violent attacks have intensified,” John added.
This latest assault highlights growing concerns over targeted violence against Christian communities in India. Church authorities, rights activists, and several civil society voices have condemned the incident, demanding immediate action and a neutral probe into the rising trend of hate crimes masked as “anti-conversion drives.”