Under the guise of a literary launch for a book about a Hindu monk in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, a Hindu religious leader issued a definitive, public call to make the central Indian state “church-free.” This marks a chilling escalation in the fusion of state authority and radical ideological movements. The declaration to make Odisha church-free was made in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Dattatreya Hosabale, and former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.