Police have arrested seven Christians including a Catholic priest and five Protestant pastors for allegedly trying to convert poor Hindus in northern Indian Uttar Pradesh state.
Catholic Father Dominic Pinto of Lucknow diocese was arrested with six others on Feb. 5 after a group of hard-line Hindu activists complained to police in Barabanki district.
The Hindu activists alleged that a mass religious conversion gathering was held at Navintha, the diocesan pastoral center.
“There is not an iota of truth” in the allegation, said Father Donald D’Souza, chancellor and spokesperson of Lucknow diocese.
Pinto “did not even attend the prayer gathering. He only provided space for it to be held at the pastoral center, which is a normal practice,” D’Souza told UCA News on Feb. 6.
D’Souza said people who call themselves “Khrist Bhakts” (followers of Christ), who are not converted to Christianity but follow the teachings of Christ, organize their prayer gatherings. Often they hold such gatherings at the diocesan center.
“Nobody is converted or asked to become Christian. But still, police arrested our people,” D’Souza lamented.
This story was originally published in ucanews.com. Read the full story here.