Mumbai (PTI): All the schools run by Christian remained closed in Maharashtra on Friday to support the suffering of Christians in Orissa.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai called upon all Catholic educational institutions to remain closed today, as a mark of solidarity with the Christian victims attacked by fundamentalists in Orissa.

Hundreds of schools in Maharashtra also remained closed, the christian missions said.

Prominent citizens from different walks of life - Mahesh Bhatt (noted film director), Tushar Gandhi (social activist), Dr. Abraham Mathai (general secretary, All India Christian Council and vice-chairman, Minorities Commission) and a number of community organizations also staged a protest here on Friday at Azad Maidan.

Mathai called upon the government to ban the VHP and Bajrang Dal, as it was not fair to ban SIMI, while letting Hindu fundamentalists run riot in the country.

The VHP had greater potential to terrorise minorities and has been exploiting this to the fullest by destroying life and property in states like Gujarat and now Orissa, he said.

If the state fails to restore normalcy within 24 hours, Union government should impose President rule, Mathai said.

Mahesh Bhatt said that the country was at more risk and can possibly be destroyed by fundamentalism, as India is too big to be hit by any threat from across the border.

He was the first to react to the Christmas eve violence against the Christians in Orissa and said that he was shocked to hear anti-minority slogans like 'Phele Issai, Phir Kassai (First Christians, Then Muslims), renting the air.

Bhatt also said that the Gandhian ideology was Christian to the core and the need of the hour was to stand-up to fundamentalism, before it is too late.