Bhopal(India):
Thirty odd men armed with sticks and hockey stormed in a Christian prayer meeting in the Central Indian
state of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal and beat them mercilessly. In the attack almost eight people were seriously injured including three priests.
The seriously injured with fractured legs, hands and head injuries were admitted in various hospitals of the city. The miscreant wrecked the entire household leaving the injured before fleeing the spot of crime. While leaving the spot, they damaged the vehicles parked outside the house.
It is believed that in the attack Bajrang Dal activists were involved, who accused the
worshippers of converting Hindus in their faith.
It was around ten am when Father Francis was leading the congregation, suddenly a group of people pelted stones on worshippers. They entered the hall, where prayer was going and beat people mercilessly.
Priest SV Francis said,” It seems that the people came from nearby slums. Some of them had tilaks on their foreheads and were sporting a saffron banner,”. The cries for help were ignored by neighbours and passers-by.
The assailants severely beat up the worshippers and hurled abuses at them, warning them not to “vitiate” the atmosphere in Bhopal.
Anand, 28 , a resident of the city said , “ The attackers entered the house after causing damage to the vehicles parked outside. The attacked lasted almost half an hour. After which they flee the spot. They hurled abuses and charged the organizers of
conversion”,
While attacks on Christians are on the rise in Madhya Pradesh, these have mostly been confined to rural areas.This was the first time they attacked at Bhopal.
Christian leaders held the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu extremist organisations responsible for the incident.
State Minorities Commission member Indra Iyenger said, “ The police and the administration has every idea about the attackers. Inspite of that the case has been registered against unidentified persons”, Bhopal district Suprintendent of Police Anant Kumar Singh said that the investigations are on and soon would be able to catch the culprits. In the past year, almost 40 cases of attack has been registered against the community in the various parts of the state. SP Anant Singh said," Its difficult to identify the culprits because the complainants had not named anyone yet."
In Bhopal, Bajrang Dal State convenor Devender Rawat claimed ignorance about the attack. He said that althouhg we are aware that the Christians are aggressively pursing religious conversion, we are against using any kind of violence. In an emergency meeting Christian leaders have condemned the attack and have decided to take out a protest rally. Leader of opposition in the state assembly Jamuna Devi has also criticised the gruesome incident and demanded immediate arrest of Bagranj Dal activist. She also accused the government of registering fake conversion cases against the Christian community.