Madhya Pradesh: anti-Christian violence "unacceptable"
The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act. According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), the State's authorities and Police bend to mob rule by local Hindu radicals.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "This cycle of violence planned against Christians in Madhya Pradesh is not acceptable. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi must control the government of this State and order them to enforce the guarantees in the constitution of India," said Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) who spoke to AsiaNews about a recent spate of attacks and acts of persecution against Christians in the Indian State.

The latest incidents are just a few days old. In one case, the authorities stepped in to stop a Christian gathering following tensions caused by radical Hindu groups.

The Moksha Foundation, which organised the event, had the required police permit. Request for such a document requires a statement that the applicant is not involved in terrorist activities.

In another incident, some Hindu radicals got unhinged in Madhya Pradesh when news that a Christian man was going to marry a Hindu woman.

Despite being adult and consenting, the superintendent of police of Alirajpur forced the two to go home and annulled their union.

"I did what I thought was best," the officer said, "after nearly 400 militants stormed my office and threatened to set it on fire."

The statement by the police superintendent was "very serious, because it shows that mob rule by Hindu radicals dictate what police do in this part of Madhya Pradesh," this according to the Religious Liberties Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).

EFI sent a petition to the state's chief minister asking for his urgent intervention to stop the hate campaigns against Christians. (NC/SD)