Attacks on Christians by Right Wing Groups Continue

NEW DELHI: In continuing attacks on Christians, yet another church was vandalised by two men in the capital of India.

Two unidentified men were caught on CCTV vandalising a church in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri area. The police claimed that efforts are on to nab the men.

Assistant Father Balraj of Our Lady of Graces Church that was attacked is quoted by the agencies as saying, “At 4:19 AM, two persons came on a motorcycle and one of them entered the church’s premises and broke a glass pane. He is seen leaving in the footage only to return a minute later and pulling down a statue.”

A case has been registered. This incident follows the mysterious burning down of St Sebastians Church in Dilshad Garden over a month ago.

The pressure on the Christians, along with Muslims, was intensified when right wing groups announced their decision to convert members of both communities to Hinduism at a grand function in Aligarh on Christmas Day. RSS, BJP local leaders and affiliates like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were all involved in the effort. They were forced to withdraw the program following pressure from the Opposition in Parliament that demanded accountability from the government and a statement on the issue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ‘ghar wapsi’ program scheduled for Christmas Day had attracted world attention being carried prominently by the international media.

Reports of attacks on Christians are filtering in from other parts of the country. A group of Bajrang Dal activists Sunday attacked and vandalized the Christian bhawan (building) at a Bihar town, police said.

The incident created panic among the small Christian community -- who demanded police protection for their security -- in Jehanabad town of the same district, 52km from Patna.

"Some Bajrang Dal activists attacked and vandalized the Christian bhawan at Jehanabad town," a district police official told agencies.

The protest was against alleged conversions, claims found to be completely false later.

Christian groups have been reporting increased harassment from different parts of the country. They have felt the pressure in Madhya Pradesh particularly with reports suggesting that Christian missionaries and others are coming under increasing pressure from the right wing groups on the issue of conversion and many individuals were attacked over Christmas and the New Year by members of the RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal.

Reports of attacks emerged from the Khargone, Khandwa and Burhanpur districts. Ironically, In Khandwa district 16 Christians, including men, women and their young children, were arrested on charges of religious conversion.