Christians Attacked During Worship Service in India

A group of about 50 Hindu militants in the state of Uttaranchal in northern India have attacked two Christian workers during a Sunday worship service before accusing them of "hurting religious sentiments".

According to International Christian Concern (ICC), the victims, identified only as Salvin and Simon from the Full Gospel Pentecost Church, were attacked on 24 September when they were worshipping with 20 other Christians in their rented house in the Kasipur area.

The mob beat the pair before they forcibly took them to the local police station and accused them of speaking against the Hindu religion, the Rev. Madhu Chandra, a leader of the All India Christian Council (AICC), reported ICC.

Salvin and Simon were taken to a hospital for first aid by the police before they charged them under Section 298 of the Indian Penal Code (I PC) for hurting religious sentiments. The victims and local Christians have denied the allegation.

Later, Sariyu Prakash, a Christian lady from a local Methodist church and the victims' neighbour, and Rakesh Kumar, the owner of the house where the Christians were holding worship service, lodged a counter complaint against the Bajrang Dal activists. The police registered the complaint for rioting, use of criminal force, house trespass, causing hurt and criminal intimidation under Sections 148, 351, 452, 323 and 506 of the IPC.

However, following the lodging of the counter complaint, Raju Agarwal, a former legislator of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegedly threatened the complainants that if they did not withdraw the complaint they would face dire consequences.

Agarwal also allegedly pressured Kumar to ask the Christians to vacate his house.

Local Christians are reportedly seeking a compromise with the attackers to ease the pressure and threats being made to them. The compromise is likely to be reached in the local court, which is yet to announce the first hearing of the cases.

The AICC condemned the "barbaric crimes" against the Christian minority community by "religious fanatics" and demanded punishment for the culprits as well as protection for the Christian community as the law entitles.

There are only 27,116 Christians in Uttaranchal, where the total population is more than 8.4 million.