New Delhi11 minutes ago
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Hearing was held in the Supreme Court on Thursday in the case related to attacks on Christian institutions and priests. During this, the central government in the court told the figures of attacks on Christian institutions and priests wrong. The Center said that the petitioners wanted to tarnish the image of the country by prolonging the case.
In fact, Rev. of the National Solidarity Forum. Peter Machado, Rev. of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Many people including Vijayesh Pal had filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The petition claimed that between 2021 and May 2022, there were more than 700 cases of violence against the Christian community. His lawyer said in the court that Christians are being attacked and cases are being registered against Christians only.
The petitioner in the Supreme Court, Rev. Peter Machado.
Most of the cases are due to quarrels with neighbors: Central government
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the court on behalf of the Central Government, cited a report received from the states and said that most of these cases are of quarrels with neighbors.
He told that the central government has taken data from 8 states including Bihar, UP, MP and Chhattisgarh. There were 38 cases related to Christians in Bihar. In all these cases Christians had conflicts with their neighbors. According to the petition, there have been 495 attacks on Christians and their institutions in Chhattisgarh but according to our reports this has not happened. On the other hand, when the verification of 162 cases mentioned in the petition was done, they turned out to be fake.
On January 2 this year, in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, a church was vandalized by people belonging to the tribal community over religious conversion.
Hearing of the case will send wrong message: Central Government
Mehta said that the bench took up the matter for hearing on the basis of data of the petitioners, which is wrong. Hearing of this matter will send the wrong message. Internationally, it would appear that Christians in India are under attack and are in danger.
Petitioners to respond within 3 weeks: SC
The matter is being heard by a three-member bench of DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and JB Padriwala. The court asked the petitioners to respond to the central government’s report in three weeks.
Earlier in the hearing held in March, the court had said that it is not necessary that the crime committed against a person should be against his entire community. But even if 10% of the cases stated in the petition are true, then it is necessary to go to the bottom of the matter.