Overview
- The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India warned of an alarming rise in incidents and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure swift, visible enforcement of the law.
- One case drawing scrutiny is Jabalpur, where BJP district vice president Anju Bhargava was accused of assaulting a visually impaired attendee; the CBCI sought her removal, and a police source said there was no evidence of forced conversion.
- Other reported episodes include an attack on a children’s carol group in Kerala, where an RSS worker was arrested, a state-run venue’s event cancellation in Haridwar, and a threatening video from Delhi.
- Nationwide services, including midnight Masses, went ahead with large turnouts, and authorities increased security at high-footfall churches in several cities.
- Prime Minister Modi attended the Christmas morning service at Delhi’s Cathedral Church of the Redemption and called for harmony, as Pope Leo XIV’s first Christmas homily decried civilian suffering in Gaza and urged dialogue.