Christians in large numbers from across the state will gather at Azad Maidan on Friday against a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator who allegedly offered money to those who killed those attempting religious conversion. The community has alleged that the legislator has indirectly threatened the Christian community of getting their priests killed.
BJP’s member of legislative assembly (MLA) Gopichand Padalkar from Sangli’s Jat constituency has been accused of giving a reward of Rs11 lakh to those who killed the people entering their villages with an aim of religious conversion. The legislator has been accused of hurting the religious sentiments of the Christian community as he is said to be targeting Christian priests and pastors.
While the community has been expressing outrage against the legislator’s statement through protest rallies in various districts of Maharashtra, the Sakal Christi Samaj has announced a Christian Morcha on Friday at Azad Maidan from 12pm to 6pm. Community members from across the state are expected to join the protest on Friday.
The community has demanded that Padalkar should be expelled from the assembly and an offence should be registered against him. “Through this action, many types of atrocities on the Christian community like the vandalism of churches and attacks on religious leaders will be curbed in the coming future. The community needs protection from the government and action against the culprits,” read a statement by Sakal Christi Samaj.
