Archbishop Peter Machado.
New Delhi: Christian organizations have filed a plea in the Supreme Court with severe criticism against the central government for Christians being persecuted in many places in the country. Archbishop Dr Peter Machado said in the plea that organizations which have links with the central government are behind the attacks. The petition sought a retired judge-led committee to oversee the investigations of these attacks.
The attacks are carried out by RSS workers belonging to organizations including Bajrang Dal and VHP. The police are putting the victims of violence in jail. It is alleged in the affidavit that not even an FIR was filed against the attackers. The new plea was filed as a counter to a submission made by the Centre before the court.
The government has completely failed to take necessary measures to stop such organizations from spreading hate and violence. Since 2021, attacks against Christians have been rampant in various states. The violence has increased in states like UP, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Haryana after the Prohibition of Religious Conversion Act was passed. The plea states that such acts of violence do not happen by chance but are part of a well-planned plan.
Archbishop Peter Machado, National Solidarity Forum and Evangelical Fellowship of India, had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking its intervention to curb the growing violence against Christians in the country. In the counter affidavit submitted by the Centre, it completely denied the allegations. In the affidavit, the government has said that the petition is based on baseless and unsubstantiated allegations. The government has also accused the petitioners of interpreting some personal issues as communal crimes.