"Atmosphere of terror": KC Venugopal writes letter to PM Modi over Christmas attacks on Christians

New Delhi [India], December 29 (ANI): Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Monday alleged that Christmas celebrations this year were marked by "terror and violence" across several BJP-ruled states, accusing right-wing outfits of a "clear strategy of humiliating minorities". Venugopal said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent and decisive action to prevent such incidents from recurring.

In a post shared on X, Venugopal said, "This Christmas, there was an atmosphere of terror and violence across most BJP-ruled states, with a clear strategy of humiliating minorities. I wrote to the PM to take urgent action on this well-planned assault on Christians to ensure this doesn't ever repeat in the future and India remains a safe and hospitable society for all communities."
In the letter, Venugopal expressed "profound dismay" over what he described as an escalating wave of violence and intimidation targeting the Christian community. He termed the incidents a direct attack on constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, equality and dignity, and warned that such acts were eroding India's pluralistic ethos.
Citing multiple incidents from across the country, Venugopal alleged that mobs affiliated with right-wing groups disrupted Christmas prayers, vandalised churches and decorations, and harassed worshippers in states including Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. He claimed that in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar, women and children were verbally abused for wearing Santa Claus hats, while in Raipur, a mob stormed a shopping mall and vandalised Christmas decorations.
The Congress leader also referred to incidents in Chhattisgarh, where he alleged that churches were attacked and Christian homes damaged following conversion-related allegations, and to disruptions of prayer meetings in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, including gatherings attended by children with hearing and visual impairments.
"Recently, the festive spirit of Christmas has been overshadowed by a series of deplorable incidents in various states, including Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where mobs--affiliated with right-wing outfits--have unleashed terror on innocent worshippers, churches, and families. These acts are not spontaneous; rather reveal a pattern of hate being spread in the country. In Delhi, the national capital, right-wing members verbally assaulted women and children in Lajpat Nagar simply for wearing Santa Claus hats. In Chhattisgarh, the extremists attacked two churches and razed Christian homes in Kanker village over baseless conversion disputes. This incident occurred just after the attack on two Christian Nuns in Durg railway station. The situation was similar when a mob of 40-50 armed men stormed Magneto Mall in Raipur, vandalizing Christmas trees and decorations while interrogating terrified shoppers on their faith and caste. The hatred has spread to such an extent that villages in Chhattisgarh banned the entry of Christian Pastors and missionaries inside. In Madhya Pradesh, the assaulters had invaded a Christmas prayer meeting and feast in Jabalpur's Gorakhpur area--attended by hearing- and visually-impaired children. On Christmas Eve, a group disrupted a prayer meeting at a church in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh," the letter read.
Venugopal further pointed to an incident in Kerala's Palakkad district, where he claimed a mob attacked a Christmas carol procession involving mostly children, destroying musical instruments. "How low must we sink when even children's songs of peace become targets of religious intolerance?" he wrote, calling such acts "scars on the core idea of India".
"How can we preach "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" when the state abandons its citizens to mob rule?" he asked, adding, "The silence from the Prime Minister and that of the government emboldened the hate mongers and seems to be an open invitation for them to rage violence against the minorities. This is unacceptable."
The Congress MP also warned of repeated instances of moral policing and violence during past New Year's Eve celebrations, saying these incidents had turned moments of joy into "nights of terror". With the New Year approaching, he urged the Centre to take preventive measures to ensure public safety.
"Therefore, I demand an immediate and decisive action from the government to look into this matter on utmost priority and ensure that such incidents of violence do not occur, while ensuring that the people of the nation have the right to profess the religion of their choice without fear," he further added.
This comes after the reports of disruptions emerged from multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Odisha, where Christian communities reported vandalism, intimidation and harassment during Christmas celebrations.
The most prominent incident was reported from Assam's Nalbari district, where miscreants vandalised Christmas decorations at St Mary's English School ahead of celebrations. Assam Police arrested four members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad: Bhaskar Dey, Jyoti Padgiri, Biju Dutta, and Nayan Talukdar, who damaged the outer decorations, street lights, plant pots, and other articles, as well as setting some things on fire. (ANI)