An inter-faith prayer was today held here for persecuted Christians in India and abroad where Trinamool Congress MP Derek O' Brien termed the incidents as a "trend" of attacks on places of worship and institutions of the minority community.
Terming the alleged sexual assault on the 71-year-old nun in Gangnapur, West Bengal, on Saturday, as a "dastardly, gruesome and inhuman act", he said that he has raised in Parliament the question of attacks on religious places and institutions of minorities.
"There is a trend. An attack on places of religious worship is followed by rumour-mongering and technology is used for (further) rumour-mongering", he said adding that the attack on the Christian convent in West Bengal was preceded by elections there.
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Claiming the Chief Minister Mamata Bannerji and the state government were taking the incident very seriously, he said "we will go beyond candle light prayer. We will keep you posted. We will give it all it takes", he said.
The inter-religious prayer attended by representatives of all major faiths, also saw the participation of ex Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, former hockey player Dilip Tirkey and former Archbishop of Delhi Vincent Concessao.
It was held to pray for those Christians subjected to persecution in different parts of the world including the attack which took place in Pakistan yesterday.
Sister Janet, principal of Convent of Jesus and Mary, appealed to the media to "sieve the contents about the incident" and appealed for avoiding rumours. She said the elderly nun was "alive and very much better", contrary to the rumours spread earlier.
An under-construction church in Kaimri village near Hisar, Haryana, was yesterday vandalised and the cross replaced with an idol of Hanuman, triggering tension in the area.
A 71-year-old nun was gangraped by dacoits in a convent school in Nadia district of West Bengal.
