New Delhi: More than 3,000 Christians from across India have signed a declaration of disassociation from Christian leaders who attended a Christmas lunch hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2023.
The statement said that since 2014, Christians in India have repeatedly been subject to targeted attacks and defamation, and that so-called anti-conversion laws implemented by several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party have been used as a discriminatory tool against the community. . The statement also draws particular attention to the ethnic violence that broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, during which a large number of churches were attacked.
In September last year, Thread had reported that attacks against Christians in India quadrupled between 2011 and 2022, according to data collected by Christian civil society groups. In many situations, AC Michael of the United Christian Forum had stated Thread then, the police lodge FIRs against the victims of such violence rather than the perpetrators.
“While it is certainly within his rights as Prime Minister to host a reception for whomever he wishes, one might understandably question the intent of this reception when he has not condemned a single attack against Christians, during his mandate as Prime Minister. Interestingly, although he praised Jesus Christ and spoke highly of the services of the Christian community, he shared neither remorse nor empathy for the plight of Christians in the country today. , indicates the press release published on January 4.
“The guests at the Christmas party were a select group of Christians. Even though the invitation came from the Prime Minister, this was an opportunity for them to courteously decline the invitation in light of what happened to Christians in Manipur and elsewhere,” he continued.
“When these Christian representatives spoke at the reception, they gave tacit approval to this government’s omission and action,” the statement read. “Therefore, their acceptance of this invitation was not on our behalf!
