A video has surfaced showing a mob carrying sticks and iron rods vandalizing a Catholic church in India’s central state of Chhattisgarh, where area Christians suffered a spate of violence weeks earlier.
The video, shared by Global Christian Relief, formerly called Open Doors USA, shows hundreds of protesters armed with rocks, iron rods and wooden sticks attacking the 50-year-old Sacred Heart Church in Narayanpur district’s Edka village on Jan. 2.
“The mob destroyed everything, the church and the presbytery,” Sacred Heart parish priest Fr. Jomon Devasia told UCA News. “A tense situation prevails here.”
Two local leaders from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party — Rupsai Salam and Narayan Markam — are among the accused.
The attack on the church was part of an ongoing spate of violence against Christians in Narayanpur district as well as the neighboring district of Kondagaon.
A recent report by a fact-finding team said a series of attacks on Christians, who are tribal, or indigenous, took place from Dec. 09–Dec. 18, 2022, in numerous villages in the two districts displacing about 1,000 Christians.
Their homes were vandalized and their churches and properties were attacked for refusing to “re-convert” to Hinduism.
Local tribal organizations have written to the district authorities saying they would not allow the burial of tribal Christians or Christian prayers or church services or even allow pastors to enter in their villages without the permission of the village committee.
This story was originally published in christianpost.com. Read the full story here