MUMBAI: The All-Indian Christian Council (AICC) has demanded a ban on the Hindu militant organizations Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (BD) for their involvement in the carnage of Orissa. It also urged Indian President Pratibha Patil to intervene and invoked Article 355 of the Indian Constitution.
The Christian body held a press conference here yesterday to condemn the killings of Christians in Orissa. Father Asesh Misale and Father Nabod Bardhan from Gajapati in Orissa, who were invited to narrate the condition of the Christians, told journalists that over 30 people have died and 14,000 Christians have left Orissa.
Speaking on the occasion, social activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad said “The violence in Orissa is an example of breakdown of law. We claim of democracy but in fact nothing has yet been done to book the culprits and stop the anarchy. Parties like VHP and Bajrang Dal which are spreading violence in the country should be banned.”
Setalvad further said that it was a sad tale. “The violence in Orissa is an example of breakdown of law and order. The authorities have not taken any action so far against the culprits and dispense with justice,” she said.
Gujarat’s former Director General of Police R.B. Shreekumar noted that the ongoing violence in Kandhamal and other areas was a part of the hidden agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
“There is no justification for anti-Christian violence even when Naxalites are reported to have owned up the responsibility of the murder of Hindu priest Saraswati against whom they were campaigning for a long time. Self-centered career-oriented bureaucrats indulge in illegal actions to support political strategy of the rural party as the collaborators are rewarded with special patronage and detractors who implement the rule,” said Shreekumar.
