In Odisha, a call for a “church-free” state in front of the authorities.

International Christian Concern (ICC) reported on August 13, 2026 that, at the launch of a book about Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, a Hindu religious leader publicly called for the state to become “church-free.” Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale and former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were present.

What the event called for

Besides the call against churches, the event launched a plan of action for the villages of Kandhamal, the district with the largest Christian presence in the state.

• A ban on the “vidharmi”, a term used for those who follow or spread another faith.
• Hindu religious workers in every village of Kandhamal district.
• A “One Rupee and One Hour” campaign, asking people for money and time for Hindu activities and against conversions.
• Saraswati's biography in libraries and, according to Christian Today India, in the state school curriculum.

Why Saraswati's name carries weight

Saraswati, a VHP leader, was murdered in August 2008 in Kandhamal. Maoist rebels claimed responsibility, but Christians were blamed, and the violence that followed left dozens dead, hundreds of churches and thousands of homes destroyed, and tens of thousands displaced. Honoring him at an official event, with a call against churches, reopens that wound.

Why it matters

Odisha is the state of the next language of the project's theology course, Odia. For ICC, the presence of officials gives the speech the appearance of state approval and runs against Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the freedom to profess, practice and propagate one's faith. Christian leaders in Kandhamal announced peaceful protests.