MYSORE: A host of Congress leaders, including Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M.H. Ambareesh, attended a meeting organised by AHINDA, a federation of Backward Classes, Dalits and Minorities, to condemn the attack on Avila Convent in Mysore by suspected Sangh Parivar activists.

Expressing solidarity with the Christian community on the occasion, the Congress leaders sought to bring pressure on the City police to identify the culprits and bring them to book.

Apart from Mr. Ambareesh, the gathering was also addressed by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge, former Chief Minister Dharam Singh, former Minister R.V. Deshpande and Kanakapura MP Tejaswini Sriramesh.

Suspected Sangh Parivar activists had reportedly manhandled a staff member and smashed the statue of Infant Jesus kept on the school premises on Thursday.

`Skewed mentality'

At the meeting, Mr. Ambareesh said the attack on Avila convent in Mysore showed the skewed mentality of a "very small" section. "The police should identify them and arrest them soon," he said.

Former Chief Minister Dharam Singh lashed out at the Janata Dal (Secular) for aligning with the BJP, which he said had emboldened Sangh Parivar elements to unleash attacks on minorities.

Mr. Kharge said the Congress leaders had not come to campaign for the byelection to the Assembly from the neighbouring Chamundeshwari constituency.

"We only want to show our solidarity," he said. But, he promised to take up the issue in the next session of the State Legislature.

Kanakapura MP Tejaswini Sriramesh promised to raise the matter in Parliament.

President of Mysore City's AHINDA Youth Wing Gracian Rodrigues Babu told The Hindu that the Christian community had decided to hold a protest demonstration near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Square in the City at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Bishop of Mysore Thomas A. Vazhapilly is expected to participate in the protest, he said.

Friday evening's meeting organised at the auditorium of St Mathias School in Bannimantap was attended by representatives of a host of Christian organisations in the city including the Catholic Christian Association of Mysore Diocese, Railway Christian Association, Vikrant Tyres Christian Association, Christian Okkoota Samithi, Christian Youth Association, and the Christian Mahila Association.

Earlier in the morning, former Union Minister Janardhan Poojary said the attack on Avila Convent in Mysore by suspected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal leaders had been "orchestrated" to create an atmosphere of fear in the minds of voters.

However, BJP's State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda refused to take cognisance of the incident.

"There is no truth in the allegations," Mr. Sadananda Gowda said when his attention was drawn to the incident.

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