Jabalpur attack: Priests have expressed gratitude for Kerala govt's support, says minister

Thrissur: Revenue Minister K Rajan on Saturday said the Catholic priests from Kerala, who were allegedly attacked by right-wing activists in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, have expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the support extended by the Kerala government and its people.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the residence of one of the priests, Rajan said that amidst the ongoing CPI(M) Party Congress, the chief minister personally intervened, and state authorities immediately contacted senior officials in Madhya Pradesh on the day of the incident.

The minister also said he had a direct video call with Fr Davis George, one of the victims of the attack.

"We assured him of all possible support and told him we were ready to visit if needed. However, he thanked us and simply asked for our prayers," Rajan said.

He added that what was happening in India was completely unacceptable.

Rajan said the right-wing activists had earlier demolished a church built for the believers there.

"Fr Davis George is not involved in religious conversion, but he provides education and other facilities for a poor section of the people in the Mandla region there," he added.

Rajan alleged that widespread attacks among minorities occurred in various other states, stating that the Kerala government and its people have a 'secular' mind.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday condemned the attack on Catholic priests and urged the authorities to intervene strongly and take appropriate legal action against the culprits.

In a statement issued by his office, Vijayan said a group of tribals, including women and children, who were on a pilgrimage, were taken to a police station on charges of "forced religious conversion".

When some priests intervened to help them, they were beaten up by a group of people in the presence of the police, he said, terming the entire incident "extremely despicable", the statement added.

Vicar General of Jabalpur Catholic Diocese, Father Davis George, and Jabalpur diocesan corporation secretary, Father George Thomas, who hail from Kerala, were allegedly attacked on the premises of Ranjhi police station on March 31.

Four days after the incident, the Madhya Pradesh police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Friday, though nobody has been arrested so far.