Jharkhand: Protest against vandalism of Chhattisgarh church

Our rally is against such forces, the Congress MLA said.JCYA president Kuldeep Tirkey told PTI, The rally was aimed at lodging our protest against the attack on Christians in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Hundreds of people from the Christian community in Ranchi took to the streets on Sunday in protest against the alleged attack on Christians in Jharkhand and vandalism of a church in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

Men and women, under the aegis of the Jharkhand Christian Youth Association (JCYA), took out the rally from GEL Church compound here to the Morabadi ground. The placards had messages such as “stop the attack on churches” and “stop dividing in the name of religion”. Claiming that some people of the community were targeted during Christmas gathering preparations in Garhwa district of Jharkhand last month, the protestors urged the Jharkhand government to ensure peace in the state.

Congress MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey and former Mandar legislator Bandhu Tirkey took part in the rally.

“Some forces in the country want to divide the nation in the name of religion. Our rally is against such forces,” the Congress MLA said.

JCYA president Kuldeep Tirkey told PTI, “The rally was aimed at lodging our protest against the attack on Christians in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. We demand the governments of both states to ensure peace and provide safety to the community.” On January 2, a church was vandalised and six police personnel, including an IPS officer, were attacked and injured during a protest by tribals in connection with an alleged religious conversion in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur city.

“The progress of investigation in the Chhattisgarh incident is very slow and very few culprits have been arrested,” Tirkey said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)