Kerala clergy stopped in Odisha, called 'forced converters;' CM reacts
On Wednesday in Odisha's Balasore district, right-wing activists stopped vehicles carrying Christian nuns and priests from Kerala, accusing them of forced conversions.
Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition leader V D Satheesan called the incident a "witch hunt" and warned it was an attack on India's secular values.
The clergy were released after police confirmed there was no harm or complaint.
Witch hunt against Christians
Vijayan described the incident as part of a "witch hunt," while Satheesan urged action to protect religious minorities.
The Catholic Bishops's Conference of India called it a "blatant violation" of constitutional rights, echoing calls for better protection.
This comes not long after a similar incident involving Keralite nuns in Chhattisgarh, raising fresh concerns about safety for religious minorities across India.