Kerala catholic priests, nuns allegedly attacked by Bajrang Dal activists in Odisha

Jaleswar: Amid the controversy over the arrest of two Kerala nuns in Chhattisgarh, over 70 Bajrang Dal activists allegedly attacked two Catholic priests, two nuns from and a Bible teacher (catechist) at Jaleswar in Odisha on Wednesday. It is learnt that the right-wing activists launched the attack against the clergy, falsely accusing them of religious conversions.

Keralites Fr Lijo Nirappel, Parish Priest of Jaleswar, and Fr V Jojo of Joda Parish in the Diocese of Balasore were attacked by the group while visiting the Gangadhar mission station to conduct a mass marking the death anniversary of two local men from the Christian community. 

The two nuns and the catechist accompanied the priests. According to reports, the peaceful visit of the clergy turned violent when the Bajrang Dal activists blocked and assaulted them.

According to a report in Catholic Connect, the assailants punched them and snatched their mobile phones. The attack reportedly continued even after the village women clarified that the priests and their team were invited for a prayer service.

“They kept shouting that we were trying to make them Americans—converting them by force. They screamed: ‘Those BJD days are over; now it’s BJP rule—you cannot make Christians anymore,’” Fr Lijo told Catholic Connect.

Police reportedly reached the spot around 45 minutes after the attack, but the angry mob refused to disperse. Both priests sustained injuries in the attack. 

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India condemned the attack on the priests and nuns. The association also expressed concern over the increasing attacks against minority communities in BJP-ruled India.

KPCC general secretary KC Venugopal, MPs Jose K Mani and Kodikunnil Suresh slammed BJP over the violence against the priests and nuns. They alleged that such attacks are part of BJP's agenda to saffronise India.

The attack took place within two weeks after the arrest of two nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh over alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion. Catholic nuns Preethy Mary and Vandana Francis were released from Durg jail on August 2 after a special NIA court granted them bail holding that the case was based in mere suspicion. The arrest of the nuns sparked off a political slugfest with the Congress and CPI(M) criticising the police action and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai accusing them of politicising the issue.

Meanwhile, the three young women from Narayanpur -- who it had been alleged were being trafficked -- submitted a complaint at the office of the Superintendent of Police in Narayanpur seeking to register an FIR against Bajrang Dal activists for allegedly assaulting them and forcing them to give false statements against the nuns.