India’s north-central state of Madya Pradesh, for allegedly "forcibly converting" Hindus.
The incident in Gauri Nadi village, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) from Jabalpur city, highlighted growing concerns among radical Hindu groups about the spread of Christianity in this predominantly Hindu nation, news reports said Monday May 15.
Christian news agency Compass Direct reported that about 50 members of the Dharam Jagran Sena (Army for Religious Revival) threw stones at the Anant Jeevan Marg church on Sunday, May 14, shortly after its Sunday worship was over.
A local Christian leader was quoted as saying that the mob threw stones as it entered the church and vandalized furniture and equipment. The militants also shouted anti-Christian slogans and accused the church of illegal conversions, the source told Compass Direct on condition of anonymity.
CHRISTIANS PRAYED
One of the victims has been identified as Dinanath Tiwari, 35, a new believer whose wife was recently healed of cancer after Christians prayed for her, church sources said.
The mob claimed Tiwari should not have converted to Christianity. He received injuries on his face, hands and knee and was taken to a government hospital for first aid and a full medical examination, Compass Direct reported. Details of the doctor’s report were not immediately available.
The mob allegedly threatened to harm Pastor Munnu Kujur, who repeatedly denied that his church was forcibly converting people. They also threatened to throw acid on Kujur’s face and bomb his church if he did not stop converting Hindus to Christianity, local Christians said.
BIBLES "EVIDENCE"
Following the attack, the mob took away all Bibles kept in the church as “evidence” that the congregation was indulging in illegal conversions by distributing them, Compass Direct reported. They then took Kujur in their vehicle to nearby Barela police station to lodge a
formal complaint against him.
When they reached the police station, the police promptly arrested Kujur on charges of illegal
conversion under the Madhya Pradesh Dharma Freedom of Religion Act and put him in a police jail. Hours later he was released on bail after church members and Christian lodged a counter-complaint against the attackers and intervention by the Christian Legal Association of India (CLAI).
The main militants leading the attack were identified as Yogesh Agarwal, Sudhir Agarwal, Kedar Namdev and Indra Bhan – who had allegedly earlier attacked a house church belonging to the Assemblies of God. Church observers say there have been at least 15 such incidents since the beginning of the year in Jabalpur alone. Human rights watchers have reported a growing
number of violent incidents against Christians across India, especially in rural and tribal areas. (With BosNewsLife Research and reports from India).
