New Delhi: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has launched a sharp attack against the Modi-led central government over the brutal assaults on Catholic priests and nuns in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, accusing it of turning a blind eye to increasing hate crimes against Christians. LDF Rajya Sabha MPs John Brittas and A. A. Rahim issued scathing statements in Parliament and to the media, demanding urgent action and accountability.
John Brittas MP did not mince words, accusing the police forces in BJP-ruled states of being reduced to extensions of the Sangh Parivar. He pointed out that despite numerous criminal cases pending against Bajrang Dal activists in various states, law enforcement remains inactive a silence he says is engineered at the highest levels of the government.
Referring to the recent incident in Odisha where 70 Bajrang Dal activists attacked priests and nuns, Brittas questioned the inaction of Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian. "These ministers climbed the political ladder by invoking the Christian minority," he said. "One won votes by distributing crowns, and the other secured a portfolio in the name of the Catholic Church. But in the face of violence against Christians, have they uttered even a word even a comma?"
Brittas also reminded the Parliament that Amit Shah had previously intervened to secure bail for two nuns in Kerala. "If he could act then, what is stopping him now? Where is his response to this latest outrage?" he asked.
Backing Brittas, MP A. A. Rahim condemned the Sangh Parivar’s targeting of Christians as part of a broader political strategy. "This is not isolated," he said. "This is a pattern a planned campaign to intimidate minorities and polarize communities for political gain."
Rahim stated that religious freedom, a constitutionally guaranteed right, is being openly violated in states ruled by the BJP. “The law and order situation has deteriorated to the extent that mobs now function as enforcers. This is the reality of mob justice under BJP governance,” he said.
Calling for a united secular resistance, Rahim warned that in every region where BJP consolidates power, injustice follows. "The democratic and secular forces of the country must rise to challenge this growing intolerance. The Prime Minister must respond."
The outrage follows the August 7 assault in Jaleswar, Odisha, where a mob of around 70 Bajrang Dal members attacked Catholic clergy, including Fr. Lijo Nirappal (parish priest, Jaleswar) and Fr. V. Jojo (Joda parish, Balasore Diocese), along with two nuns and a catechist. The attack occurred while they were returning from a memorial service at a mission station near Gangadhar village. Reports confirm that they suffered injuries in the ambush.
Disturbingly, despite the seriousness of the assault, no case has yet been registered against the perpetrators. The lack of legal action has further inflamed tensions and drawn criticism from political leaders and civil rights groups.
As the outrage grows, all eyes are now on the Centre’s response or lack thereof in addressing what many see as a deepening crisis of communal violence and religious persecution.