The worship service was held in a three-storey building rented out to serve local Christians. More than 100 people attended the church service on Sunday. This triggered the ferocious nationalists, who accused the Christians of forcefully converting Hindus. The police detained some of them and also took a few Christians in for questioning. Hindu nationalists encircled the police station and refused to leave until the chief of police arrived. 

The perpetrators belong to the nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal – a branch that has been responsible for numerous violent anti-Christian attacks. 

Anti-conversion laws are designed to make the existence of minority religions extremely difficult. Mob raids have increased significantly, and several pastors have suffered beatings and other forms of violence. Nationalists have also proclaimed a large Hindu gathering called a Mahasabha, on the back of a huge rally commemorating the 18th anniversary of the death of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati. They put up posters that say, “This Mahasabha is organized to demand a halt of all religious conversions and create a Hindu Rashtra – an Indian State comprising only Hindu people”. Attendees were asked to bring weapons with them to cause fear and anxiety among Christians.

When Saraswati was assassinated in 2008, right-wing Hindus claimed that Christians had been behind the murder. This resulted in massive riots, where nationalists burned and destroyed churches, killed more than 3,000 pastors, raped nuns, and forced thousands of Christians to flee.

Local police issued a statement saying they are taking adequate measures to maintain law and order and prevent violence.

Source: https://www.persecution.org/