Council of Indian Muslims (UK)

Council of Indian Muslims—UK (CIM) has strongly condemned anti-Christian violence and ongoing harassment of Christian community in the South Indian state of Orissa.

“Attacking and harassing religious minorities under trumped up pretexts are the sole motto of fascist Hindu organisations and the central and state governments appear to be helpless before them. To add insult to injury instead of taking any action against the perpetrators, Education Ministry of Orissa has issued show cause notices to Christian schools that were closed in protest against attacks on Christians.

“We are on record to have condemned violence against anyone and we deplore the killing of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and demand action against his murderers.” The CIM chairman Munaf Zeena said, “But his murder can not give fascist organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad [VHP] the license to go on a killing spree. We urge the state government of Orissa to take immediate action against VHP activists, restore the confidence of Christian community and withdraw notices issued to Christian schools that were closed, for one day, in protest against the killings of Christians.”

Mr Zeena also condemned the anti-Muslim violence in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh in which two persons are reported killed and several injured. “In Azamgarh too it is a sitting MP of BJP, Yogi Adityanath, who incited communal tension and has even warned to burn the city down to ashes.

“Apart from the ongoing harassment and arrests of Muslim youths in Indian police’s war on Muslims all over India, for sometime inter-communal relations in Uttar Pradesh have been relatively good and we urge Chief Minister Ms Mayawati to take immediate action to restore calm in the city, pay compensation to the families of those who were killed and injured in the indiscriminate firing by the police.”