Thousands of Christians gathered at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Friday for a day-long protest against BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar, who had allegedly made violent and threatening remarks against the community. During a public speech on June 17, Padalkar reportedly offered a bounty of ₹3 lakh to ₹11 lakh to anyone who attacked Christian priests and missionaries, accusing them of carrying out “forced conversions.”
The protest, led by the Samast Christi Samaj, drew around 15,000 people from across Maharashtra, including priests, pastors, NGOs, and secular organisations. Similar demonstrations have taken place in other parts of the state as the Christian community demands Padalkar’s resignation and the filing of an FIR against him.
“We are seeking protection from the government and police,” said Cyril Dara, convenor of the Samast Christi Samaj. “An FIR must be registered against Padalkar for his hate speech.”
Melwyn Fernandes, secretary of the Association of Concerned Christians, added, “We demand Padalkar’s suspension and a criminal case for inciting violence.”
Several political leaders also joined the protest. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad criticised the BJP, saying, “People vote for you, and you use that power to make such hateful comments.” Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi and Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar also addressed the crowd.
Pastor Samuel Salve from Ahmednagar said he had filed a petition in the high court against the BJP MLA.
At the same time, the Archdiocese of Bombay raised concerns about a proposal from Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule for a stricter anti-conversion law. In a statement, the Church said, “While we respect the government’s responsibility to maintain order, any law restricting religious freedom must be carefully reviewed within the framework of the Constitution.”
“The choice of religion is a basic right under Article 25,” the statement added. “We urge the government to reconsider the proposal, which could deepen divisions and unfairly target minority communities.”
