India, death threats against Card. Toppo: "I'm not afraid, my mission continues"
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "The police are taking care of the situation, we continue to selflessly serve through our intense and extensive apostolates- especially the poor and the marginalised, our Tribals and Dalits". Through AsiaNews, Card. Telesphore Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, thus responds to the death threats received in recent days. The archbishop received a threatening letter on June 8th and immediately filed a complaint with the local police, who immediately strengthened security measures surrounding the cardinal.
The letter seems to work of the People's Liberation Front of India (Plfi), a splinter group of the Communist Party of India (CPI Maoist). In it they demand 50 million rupees (about 691,844 euro) within 15 days. If the cardinal does not hand over the money, he will be killed: "You have made money [moolah] spreading the religion, which is why you should give a cut to the organization. The police cannot do us any harm. The police does not have the ability to stop our men. If you do not pay, you will be killed. "
The letter is signed by Raj Kujur, the self-styled Plfi commander the Bengali region of Jharkhand. The district police are investigating whether the letter, posted from Kuchhu village (Ormanjhi block), is authentic.
Card. Toppo, who is of tribal origin, told AsiaNews: "The letter in the Hindi language arrived when I was out of country, and we neither know the source or authenticity of the letter’. There is an inherent contradiction, The church is often- baselessly – accused of fraudulently evangelizing through means of allurements – whilst this letter alleges, that we have enriched ourselves through spreading religion.’ Both are baseless, fabricated and false. Conversion to Christianity is an act of Free Will, or free choice and is guaranteed by our Indian Constitution".
"The cardinal - said the police superintendent Jaya Roy - is an important leader of the Christian community. We have provided adequate security at his house, and we will do the same during his movements".
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