AMN
Muslims and Sikhs on Thursday joined a protest organised by christians against the recent surge in vandalism in Churches and attacks against minority communities across the country.
Several churches, including Methodist Church, Church of North India, Roman Catholic Church and Assembly of God Church and members of the community organised the protest under banner of Uttar Pradesh Masihi Association (UPMA) which was joined by leaders from the Muslim and Sikh communities. Muslim cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, addressing a protest rally said: “The service of Christians in the fields of health and education has been exemplary… Nonetheless, like other minorities, they are being targeted. If minorities have to survive, they have to join hands.” Another cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad too urged the minorities to forget their differences and come together. UP Sikh Pratinidhi Mandal president Rajender Singh Dua said: “Christians are peace a loving people and the recent attacks are very unfortunate.” Ammar Rizvi, president of All India Minorities Forum for Democracy, announced a national convention for minorities in the coming months to “discuss the recent attacks”.
“Over 10 attacks have taken place across the country against Christians in the last eight months ,” UPMA secretary Rakesh K Chattree said.”We request the Prime Minister to conduct a CBI inquiry into any incident as that way it will be clear who is behind these attacks, as the motive remains the same in all cases,” he said.
Accusing the state government of washing its hands off the Agra incident by saying that communal or antisocial elements are behind it, he added: “Had it been a minister’s house, the guilty would have been caught immediately… If they don’t heed to our demand and if the attacks continue, we will first call a statewide protest and then a nationwide agitation.”
While a delegation of Christian members met Governor Ram Naik on Thursday, a team from Agra had met SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on April 18.
All the Christian schools in UP remained closed on Thursday, protesting attack on community and its shrines