By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), the Madhya Pradesh Regional Bishops’ Council and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Ujjain have strongly condemned the attack on Pushpa Mission Hospital in Ujjain by some of the volunteers and workers allegedly working with Bharatiya Janata Party.
On Monday, March 12, a group of around 60 individuals reached the hospital with two JCBs under the alleged leadership of Gagan Singh. The mob, which was armed with country weapons, blocked all the entries and exits of the hospital and destroyed the emergency generators, water supply as well as power supply units “posing a great threat to the life of the patients”.
Moreover, the two JCBs demolished the hospital gate and compound wall. The hospital administration has also alleged that nurses and staffs were manhandled by the mob when they tried to protest the action. “The shameless and ruthless mob abused the lady staff, and nuns, in the filthiest language possible and also assaulted them physically,” said the press statement released by CBCI.
The Diocese of Ujjain and Pushpa Mission hospital have made written complaints to the police and have also approached relevant government authorities for protection against “such atrocities and bullying but the inaction of the administration is worrisome and disturbing”.
However, Member of Parliament from Ujjain and BJP leader Chintamani Malviya told media a day later that Pushpa Mission Hospital had encroached on private property owned by his family. Malviya, who is also the spokesperson of Bhartiya Janta Party, did not deny that the workers demolished the structure but refuted the claim that they assaulted and abused the nurses.
However, the Catholic Church states that it has the possession of the land in question since 1961 over which the Pushpa Mission Hospital has been built. It said, “Forces aided by powerful political powers have been at play to dispute and demand ownership of the land,” the statement added.
The issue of the land is already sub-judice and the church has also stated that such violent actions are in direct contempt of court. CBCI’s press statement said, “We call upon the State and the Union governments to immediately bring to task the culprits and to ensure that the rule of law prevails. Neither the State of Madhya Pradesh nor the Union Government can afford to allow mobs to take the law into their own hands. The use of political muscle and arrogant display of violent might is nothing but goondaism, terrorism, and anti-nationalism.”
“We condemn the acts of violence, terror, intimidation and forceful trespass, as these actions pose a threat to the well being and future of our beloved nation,” it added further.
The attack on Catholic establishments is not new in Madhya Pradesh. In February this year, the same hospital was vandalised and services were disrupted by saffron goons. Earlier in December 2017, Catholic Priests and Seminarians were targeted by mobs in Satna for carol singing. St. Mary’s college in Vidisha was under attack in January 2018, by extremist right-wing groups that demanded forcible worship of Bharat Mata.