Lok Sabha Tension: Alleged Attacks Shake Religious and Linguistic Harmony

Congress leaders Hibi Eden and Manickam Tagore push for adjournment in Lok Sabha to address attacks on religious minorities and linguistic misrepresentation. Eden highlights a violent incident against Catholic priests in Odisha, while Tagore points to the mislabelling of Bangla language in police records, urging urgent discussions.

In a significant move, Congress leader and Member of Parliament Hibi Eden has called for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss a recent attack on religious leaders. The incident, involving alleged violence by 70 Bajrang Dal members against Catholic priests, nuns, and a catechist in Jaleswar, Odisha, has sparked distress.

Eden's letter, directed to the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, demands a pause in House proceedings. He insists on attention to the 'communal abuse' faced by the church members, who were accused of religious conversions and physically assaulted. The letter urges condemnation of the assault, safety measures for minorities, action against perpetrators, and justice for victims.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore addresses a different concern. His notice seeks debate over the allegedly wrongful arrests in New Delhi of individuals speaking Bangla, a language constitutionally recognised in India. Tagore condemns the police's classification of Bangla as a 'Bangladeshi language,' highlighting it as an affront to Bengali cultural identity and a violation of constitutional rights.

(With inputs from agencies.)