Police officials said an unidentified youth was killed in mob violence at Barakhamba. At least eleven churches, mostly built in thatched houses, have either been ransacked or the vacant premises set on fire. Two police outposts and two police jeeps were also set on fire.

“Following largescale violence, we have imposed curfew in district headquarters town of Phulbani, Baliguda, Daringibadi and Brahmanigaon to prevent further flare-up,” said Revenue Divisional Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu.

Additional forces have been deployed in sensitive pockets of the tribal-dominated district, which has more than one lakh Christians among the total 6.50 lakh population.

Eighty-year-old Saraswati, who escaped unhurt has been at the forefront of the hate campaign against the minority community for the last 30 years.

Saraswati alleged that a group of villagers launched an attack on him at the instruction of the Congress leader.

"They attacked to eliminate me," he said adding this was for the seventh time that they failed to kill him.

Saraswati, who is a member of the VHP's 'margadarshak mandali', was attacked by a group of villagers while he was on the way to Brahmanigaom on Monday.

His driver and personal security guard were seriously injured in the incident and his car badly damaged.

While Saraswati was admitted at Darinigibadi government hospital, his security guard was rushed to M K C G Medical College Hospital at Berhampur.

Sources said the district administration of Kandhamal preferred to shift Saraswati to Cuttack hospital apprehending more danger in the locality due to presence of the VHP leader in Daringibadi area.

Tension has been brewing in the area since Monday, when clashes broke out between some Hindu and Christian groups. The situation worsened after VHP’s Saraswati was reportedly attacked.

VHP and Bajrang Dal activists called a four-hour bandh to protest against the attack.

Kandhamal district SP Narasingh Bhol said establishments and schools run by Christian missionaries were targetted by the bandh supporters. Picketing posts were set up outside churches, denying entry to many who had come to offer prayers on Christmas Day.

The violence, which began at Brahmanigaon village under Daringbadi area on Monday, gradually spread to other parts of the district with miscreants attacking two houses of the state’s Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera at Phiringia and Nuapadar villages.