Catholic church condemns attack on orphanage

Bhopal, July 19 (UNI) The Catholic community has expressed anguish over the attack by masked men on an orphanage at Satna, Madhya Pradesh, yesterday, injuring four social workers, hailing from Kerala.

Masked men, armed with lathis, attacked the orphanage, run by a Delhi-based social organisation ''Akasha Paravakal'', headed by Father Kuttikal.

A delegation of the community met Governor Dr Balram Jakhar here today and conveyed their anguish over the repeated attacks on minorities in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, according to Fr Anand Muttungal, spokesman of the Catholic church for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

He said a delegation of the community would call on the Home Minister to seek protection to the minorities and stern action against the attackers.

Expressing serious concern over the repeated attack on Christian community institutions, Fr Muttungal said the Christian community was being defamed and targetted for attack merely on the suspicion of encouraging conversion.

However, a survey disproved apprehension of conversion to Christianity, he said , adding the survey was conducted after the BJP government enacted a legislation last year amending the M P Freedom of Religion Act providing for imprisonment for embracing another religion without prior intimation to the district administration.

UNI