KCBC condemns brutal assault on priests in Odisha
Kochi: The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) condemned the incident where two Malayali priests, including a 90-year-old elderly priest, were brutally assaulted at a boys' hostel in Charwatiya, Sambalpur district, Odisha.
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KCBC stated that the those who targeted the priests on a day when the students were on vacation, carried out the assault as part of a religious extremist agenda to intimidate and expel them.
Early on May 23, the attackers broke into the priests' residence, tied them up, brutally beat them for hours and committed robbery. They also threatened to return if the priests did not vacate the place, KCBC reported.
KCBC stated that the authorities were taking a stance that protects the criminals.
Despite widespread protests, the govt systems have adopted an approach that supports anti-Christian moves, without engaging in impartial legal actions, which is a blatant violation of constitutional and human rights. The repeated hostile actions against Christians, who have made significant contributions to the cultural and educational progress of the state, is a serious issue.
Effective intervention by the central govt is urgently needed.
The Odisha govt should ensure exemplary punishment for the attackers who brutally assaulted the priests and take preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future, KCBC urged.
Fr Leenus Puthanveetil, who was attacked and is under treatment at a hospital in Manjummal, said the attackers put a knife against his neck before slapping him and tying him up. His fellow priest was brutally beaten by the attackers in front of him, he said in a video message.
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