Union Home Minister LK Advani called up VHP's working president Ashok Singhal this afternoon and asked him to condemn Prem's statement. He did this in the presence of a Christian delegation, led by Delhi's Archbishop Alan De Lastic who urged him to probe incidents of assault not only in Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh) but also in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Although a Home Ministry spokesman said that Advani had expressed ``indignation'' at the attacks on Christians, the delegation was far from satisfied. Bishop Concessao who accompanied the group to Advani said they had expected a condemnation of Prem's statement from the Home Minister himself.

``We wondered why Advani did not condemn Prem. It would have been much better,'' Concessaotold The Indian Express.

The seven instances of attack forwarded by the delegation on which Advani has assured probe allegedly occurred during the last few months. These, said Concessao, included looting of a convent and desecration of the chapel in Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh) five days ago, attack on a church in Delhi's Jesus & Mary College four days ago, attack on a convent near Bandel in West Bengal where an employee was reportedly sexually molested and violence against priests and nuns in Bihar.

An embarrassed BJP, meanwhile, dissociated itself from the VHP's statement. ``We don't agree with such statements from anybody,'' said BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu when asked for his comment. When it was pointed out that Prem had been a BJP MP and now belonged to the VHP which was a part of the Sangh Parivar, all Naidu said was that Prem was not in the BJP any longer.

Criticism of Sharma's statement is pouring in from several other parties. Said the CPI(M): ``It is shocking that the rape of nunsin Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh) is being justified in this manner. Such rabid and inflammatory statements should be dealt with firmly.''

The CPI, too, has demanded strong action against the VHP and the Bajrang Dal. CPI National Secretary D Raja said the VHP's statement showed the ``fascist nature of the ideology of saffron outfits.''

The Congress, reacting strongly to the VHP's justification of the Jhabua rape of nuns, said the VHP and the Bajrang Dal were launching organised attacks against Christians in different places and indulging in anti-Hindu activities.