The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India today demanded that the Central and state governments initiate swift action to end "inflammatory and provocative statements" against Christians and alleged attacks on them and other minorities to ensure communal harmony.
The Standing Committee Meeting of CBCI attended by 40 members, including cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, here said that in recent times there had been an "escalation" of violence against Christians and other minorities together with "highly unwarranted" statements.
All such attacks indicate a "sinister pattern and evil design" calculated to "denigrate and defame the Christians, peace-loving and law abiding citizens of India", it claimed in a statement at the end of the three-day meet.
CBCI also condemned alleged remarks of Munna Kumar Shukla, General Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, against Christians calling it "highly provocative" and "irresponsible".
It said the Christian community was "shocked" and its susceptibilities were "deeply" wounded.
Shukla had allegedly said attacking a Church violates no law and that Churches are no longer places of worship but factories for conversion of Hindus into Christianity.
