While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in a Christmas prayer service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi was projected as a message of harmony and inclusion, reports from various parts of the country about harassment and obstruction faced by the Christian community have raised serious questions about the ground reality.

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) said there appears to be a wide gap between symbolic gestures and actual conditions on the ground. According to the party, Christian families in several states, including Delhi, Haridwar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala, faced pressure, interference and fear while attempting to celebrate Christmas peacefully.

SDPI stated that in a constitutional democracy, preventing any citizen from practising their religion or faith is completely unacceptable. The party questioned whether the government would ensure that religious freedom is not limited to stages and photographs, but translated into real security and dignity for every citizen celebrating their festivals.

In a statement, SDPI National General Secretary Mohammed Ilyas Thumbe said the party demands strict legal action against all forms of violence, hatred and religious persecution. He stressed the need to fix accountability for those spreading hatred and to genuinely protect India’s pluralistic and secular ethos.

The SDPI has appealed to both the central and state governments to ensure the safety of the Christian community, along with all minorities, so that religious freedom in the country is not merely a constitutional promise but a lived reality on the ground.