India, Aug. 15 -- The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the apex body of the Catholic Church in India, on Friday, Aug 14 urged the government to withdraw the FCRA bill, while also expressing deep concern for the Christian community facing "incidents of violence, atrocities, intimidation and mob lynching" in different parts of the country.

In a message on the eve of the 80th Independence Day, CBCI president Anthony Cardinal Poola stressed that the Christian community has "served India for generations through education, healthcare, social service and humanitarian assistance," and said the FCRA bill could hamper institutions doing humanitarian service.

"India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. Therefore, t...