NEW DELHI: Amid the backdrop of Christians facing communal atrocities committed by Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) party, the Supreme Court yesterday directed Orissa government to file an affidavit explaining its role in the situation.
The apex court has asked the state government to explain steps taken by it till now to protect lives and property of people of the state, particularly Christians who have been main victims.
The Orissa government is also to explain as to why was VHP leader, Praveen Togadia, permitted to take out a procession with ashes of slain leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others. The judicial bench has posed the question on whether permission for such a procession would lead to more violence against Christians in Orissa.
The Supreme Court issued the directive in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Orissa’s Cuttack town through his counsel Colin Gonsalves. The petition filed on Tuesday was given a hearing yesterday by a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices P. Sathasivam and J.M. Panchal.
The apex court on Tuesday had initially decided to ask the archbishop to approach Orissa High Court, but the bench decided to give a hearing when Gonsalves argued that the situation was too tense in the state.
