Christian associations demand legislation to protect religious minorities, threaten bandh

Hyderabad – In the wake of the abductions and brutal killings of two preachers in Andhra Pradesh and the apparent inability of the police to capture the murderers, Christian associations have demanded that the state government recommend to the Centre to legislate Minorities and Religious Act in the model of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, during forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament, to protect the rights of religious minorities, Christian Today has confirmed.

All India United Christians Movement for Equal Rights (AIUCMER) and National Coordination Committee for SC Christians (NCCSCC) jointly placed a demand before Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy for an impartial enquiry into the recent abductions and killings of Pastor Isaac Raju and Pastor Daniel, besides other related incidents of violence in the state during the last three years.

According to the memorandum that was presented to the Chief Minister, letter, a fact finding study of the recent two incidents was conducted by a team comprising Congress MLA and AIUCMER Senior Vice–President Christine Lazarus and AIUCMER President Bro. Jose Daniel who found that religious extremism was gaining grounds in different regions of India.

Expressing unhappiness over the delay in arrest of the culprits, the AIUCMER and NCCSCC leaders demanded the Chief Minister and Home Minister K Jana Reddy to take steps to depute a Cabinet Minister to visit the families of the victims and the affected churches.

In spite of the appointment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the state government and the recent arrest of a Vibhag Pracharak (district preacher) of the Hindu fundamentalist outfit, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) party, in the town of Warangal, near Hyderabad, in connection with the killing of Pastor Raju, AIUCMER threatened that it would call for a statewide protest (bandh) unless the police arrest all the culprits within this month.

The Christian body also demanded protection and compensation to the families of the murdered pastors and an impartial enquiry into incidents of atrocities against Christians in the state in the last three years.