Thousands of Indian Christians have distanced themselves from their leaders who attended a Christmas lunch hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticizing their silence over the ongoing anti-Christian violence in the country.
Over 3,000 Christians signed an online signature campaign, saying the Christian leaders, including Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and several bishops from various Christian denominations, did not represent them at the gathering at Modi’s official residence.
The two-day virtual campaign, “Not in our name,” was started on Jan. 1 by Jesuit Fathers Cedric Prakash and Prakash Louis, and lay Catholic leader John Dayal.
Christian leaders say in 2023 India recorded some 650 cases of violence against Christians. Since Modi came to power in 2014, violence against Muslims and Christians has increased, they argue.
Sporadic violence continues in the northeastern state of Manipur, where more than 200 tribal Christians died and over 50,000 people were displaced in the sectarian flare-up after it started in May 2023.
Rights groups blame pro-Hindu groups that support Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the violence against Christian and Muslim religious minorities.
Modi, who seeks a third consecutive term in this year’s parliamentary polls, has never condemned the atrocities against minorities nor has he visited strife-torn Manipur, where a Christian woman was gang-raped and paraded naked in July last year.