The Hindu : Mob storms church at Davargere

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Mob storms church at Davargere

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE March 10. A group of at least 20 persons, shouting pro-Hindutva slogans, disrupted a prayer in a church in Bangalore Rural District and allegedly assaulted a Padre on Sunday. The police, however, denied that anyone had been assaulted.

The miscreants barged into a church at Harubel Colony at Davargere in Talghatpura in Bangalore Rural District and created a scene suspecting conversion activities.

The miscreants came to the church in 20 motorcycles when the service was on. They ransacked the church and attacked the Padre. The reason for the incident is yet to be ascertained.

The Inspector-general of Police (Bangalore Rural district), K.V.R.Tagore, said there were 15 miscreants. They wanted to know whether those within the premises were engaged in conversion activities.

When told politely that no such activity was taking place in the church, the miscreants took the trainee priest, Prashant, to a telephone booth and asked him to call the main priest. The main priest, in turn, confirmed that no conversion took place in the church.

The police claimed that nobody was assaulted and the prayer hall was not damaged.

The miscreants took away a statue of Christ, Bible and a photograph.

The All India United Christian Voice has alleged that the prayer hall was attacked by Bajrang Dal activists. It condemned the violence and demanded action against the culprits.

The Global Council of Indian Christians, in a statement, has alleged that some militant Hindu outfits were behind the attacks.

The All India Christian Voice, dubbing the attack on the trainee priest as "dastardly", has urged Mr. Tagore to take action against the culprits immediately.

The Council accused the Sangh Parivar of orchestrating the attack, in which the "cultural commissars" tore the trainee priest, Prashanth's cassock, spat on his face, spread Kunkum, and forced him to shout slogans ridiculing the Pope.

In a press statement, the Council's national convenor, Sajan K.George, said: "We are intrigued by the desecration of the church and destruction of St. Antony's statue by the Swadeshi terrorists who are only interested in sowing the seeds of hatred to divide different communities in the name of religion."

The Council wanted the National Commission for Minorities to investigate the attack.

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