Not satisfied with the judicial probe ordered by the Orissa government into the violence in Kandhamal, Christian leaders have demanded a CBI inquiry and immediate compensation to the next of kin of those killed and the injured.
"We are not satisfied with the decision to entrust the probe to a retired judge. There should be an immediate unbiased CBI probe into the Kandhamal violence," All India Christian Council's (AICC) Secretary General John Dayal and Archbishop of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, R Cheenath said.
Seeking adequate deployment of central paramilitary forces to prevent trouble from escalating in the tribal dominated district, they demanded immediate compensation to the injured and survivors of the dead as paid to victims of violence in Gujarat and other states.
Claiming that eight persons were killed and 50 churches attacked in the violence, Dayal, also a member of National Integration Council, said a fact-finding team should be sent to the district to assess the damage to property, while steps must be taken to arrest the guilty and restore peace.
Accusing the state government of failing to prevent the 'murderous' attack on Christians, Cheenath alleged that the police had remained silent spectators.
"There is a deep apprehension that the state government and the police, despite their lip service to restore peace and remove the fears of the people, have not shown the alacrity and diligence required in the face of campaign against Christians, coercive and threatening speeches and violence," they said.
