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Malayalam Catholic newspaper Deepika has strongly criticised the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their conspicuous silence on the recent attacks against Christians and Christmas festivities in various parts of the country by Sangh-associated groups.
In its editorial published on Sunday, December 28, the newspaper said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Church on Christmas was merely performative politics to appeal to the global leaders. “When the Hindutva communalists were vandalising Christmas decorations and unleashing violence, the Prime Minister conducted prayer inside the Church. His prayer is not to show to the citizens of this country, but perhaps to show to the leaders in foreign countries. Otherwise, he would have condemned the attacks or taken a strong stand against them,” the editorial reads.
The newspaper said that violence against minorities in the last 11 years of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule and the Prime Minister's silence regarding it is not new. The editorial says that the PM’s silence is more scary than the Sangh Parivar's shrill.
“From Golwalkar to Mohan Bhagwat, the visions of a Hindu Rashtra articulated through writings and speeches remained unfulfilled because our Constitution stood as a protective fortress. But the silence of the government, which was supposed to be the guardian of that fortress created by the Constitution, is now giving backdoor entry to everything that was once barred," the editorial notes.
The editorial said that not only the Sangh Parivar but even BJP-ruled governments were targeting Christians, citing Uttar Pradesh as an example, where Christmas holidays were cancelled to commemorate former Prime Minister and BJP co-founder Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Referring to data on attacks against Christians, the newspaper said incidents had multiplied four or five times since the BJP came to power. “In 2024 alone, 834 incidents of violence against Christians were reported in India. By November this year, 706 incidents had already been recorded. The BJP claims that the figures released by the United Christian Forum are not authentic, but it does not explain what is wrong with the data,” the editorial noted.
During the Christmas week, several parts of the country reported targeted attacks on the Christian community by Hindutva right-wing groups. States such as Madhya Pradesh and Delhi witnessed mobs harassing or assaulting Christians during prayer meetings and carol processions. In Kerala, a group of carolling children was attacked, and some schools reportedly cancelled Christmas celebrations following instructions from Sangh Parivar groups.