Seven Christian worshipperr have been taken to hospital with severe injuries after Hindu extremists stormed a church in India.
It reportedly happened during a Sunday service at the Penial Prayer Fellowship in the central region of Chhattisgarh.
The church’s pastor Wakish Sahu said around 15 Hindus entered the church waving wooden rods and shouting nationalist slogans. He said they set fire to Bibles, smashed chairs and attacked members of the congregation.
Pastor Sahu’s 57 year old father who co-leads the church lost consciousness after being beaten up and his mother was also attacked as she tried to shield her husband.
It’s the second time the church has been attacked in just over a year, and many worshippers are now too fearful to attend. On the day of the most recent attack, three other churches in the region were also targeted.
Pastor Sahu said police had been patrolling around the church every Sunday warning against the attendance of outsiders:
“They have warned time and again that no one from other villages should be found in our midst.”
On the day of the attack around three weeks ago, police had returned but only intervened verbally when violence broke out. Pastor Sahu said:
“It was very surprising that the police just told them, ‘It is enough,’ and they all just walked away. It appears that it was all in the knowledge of the police even before they attacked us.”
No charges against the perpetrators have yet been filed.
India now ranks at number 11 on Open Doors’ World Watch List of nations where Christians face the most persecution. The watchdog says violent attacks against Christians often go unpunished in areas where the authorities support Hindu extremists.