Christian leaders in Madhya Pradesh have appealed to India’s top constitutional authorities including President of India and Chief Justice of India for protection from Hindu nationalist groups.
The leaders belonging to different denominations, in a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind and Supreme Court Chief Justice N.V. Ramana among others, accused Hindutva groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal of infringing on their fundamental right to practice their faith.
“They make false allegations of religious conversion against the priests and pastors in the community, carry false social media propaganda against us, and register false police complaints against us,” read the memorandum.
The memorandum accused district and police authorities of siding with the Hindutva groups to harass Christians.
“We are terrorized and living in fear. We are being falsely projected as religious converters,” UCA news quotes Father Rocky Shah, one of the signatories to the memorandum and public relations officer of Jhabua Diocese as saying.
Madhya Pradesh has seen a rise in attacks against Christians since the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enacted the anti-conversion law in the state.
Father Rocky Shah said the law had further emboldened Hindutva groups in the state.
“We were forced to approach the president and chief justice among other top constitutional authorities seeking their safety and security,” he said.
