India Supreme Court: Minorities must be protected
The Supreme Court of India has told the Orissa state government that, if it cannot protect Christians from mob violence, then it should resign.
The Supreme Court today said it would not allow “persecution” of minorities and asked the Orissa government to resign if it was unable to protect Christians who were targeted in recent riots that followed the assassination of a VHP leader.
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“It is the duty of the state government to protect the minority community. You (State) have done only after 50,000 people of the minority community fled to the jungles,” the Bench said when senior advocate K K Venugopal said that the Orissa government has complied with the orders of this court.“We will not accept the persecution of minority. If the state government is unable to protect them it should resign,” Justice Katju observed and added, “we have to protect the minority. No minority community should be insecure in the country,” he said.
As cold winter weather arrives in Orissa, hundreds of Christians are still hiding in forests in fear of violent persecution if they return to their homes. 8000 more are living in relief camps, while 15,000 who fled the district altogether have not returned.