Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The police of Madhya Pradesh state (Central India) arrested five Christians, near the city of Khargone, accusing them of attracting people to convert to Christianity by offering money. According to the facts sent to Fides by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), it all started from an attack by Hindu extremists of the "Bajrang Dal" group who ordered the Christians gathered outside a house "not to pray in the area". They then attacked them, taking them by force to the police station, where they were held. According to the local faithful "allegations are baseless" and Christians had only invited a man to join their prayer.
Even in Chhattisgarh state (central India) Christian Pastor Virendar Bhaskar was taken by force by Hindu extremists accused of "forced conversions" and arrested "for deliberate and malicious acts, that offend religious sentiments". The inhabitants of his village, in the district of Jashpur, testified to the police that the allegations against the pastor were completely false. The pastor was released on bail.
Always in Chhattisgarh, in the city area of Raigarh, two Christian women, Jyoti Pal and Manju Modu were arrested during a prayer meeting.
Another violent incident occurred recently in Kaliyanganj, in Bihar (North India), where a group of Hindu extremists raided the homes of two Christian spouses, hitting and forcing them to hospital care. Others prevented the victims to file a complaint to the police.
Violence also affects Uttar Pradesh state (northern India), where, in the district of Haridwar, Hindu extremists from "Swamyamseval Rashtriya Sangh" (RSS) beat the youngest daughter of Pastor Pyare Lal, leader of an independent Church, and threw stones against his house. The Christians filed a complaint to the police, but no action has been taken against the attackers yet. In the same state the police arrested 13 Christians after a group of Hindu radicals disrupted a prayer meeting and fasting, accusing Pastor Sanjay Singh of forced conversions. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 24/09/2014)
