Some rightwing Hindu groups have threatened to close two churches of the archdiocese of Delhi that covers the national capital and parts of Haryana state.
The latest incident happened June 4 at St Joseph Vaz Catholic Mission Church, Kherki Daula in Gurugram (Gurgaon) district, Shashi Dharan, the archdiocesan public relations officer, told Matters India.
Just after the 10 am English service, a group of 20-25 people came to the church wearing saffron scarves and carrying tridents and swords on bikes and cars and threatened the priest and two Catholics who were talking to him. They gave the priest two weeks’ time to close the church.
They also said they will not allow the church in the village. They claimed they were from Hindu Sena (army).
Shashi Dharan said one person from the crowd slapped Father Amalraj, who later complained of a hearing problem.
The PRO said a five-member team led by vicar general Father Vincent D’Souza went to Kherki Daula in Gurugram district of Haryana after its parish priest Father Amalraj alerted the archbishop’s house about troubles from Hindu radicals.
After the archdiocesan team’s arrival, three people came to question them. They wanted to know if the Church has permission from the district authorities to open a church there.
Later, around 45 armed people came to the church. Sensing trouble, the investigation officer took the church team to the police station and kept them there until the crowd dispersed. The church team was asked to go to the place on June 5.
The tin-roofed church, built in 2021 on a rented place near Manesar, an industrial hub in Haryana some 60 km south of New Delhi, serves some 40 Hindi speaking and 25 English speaking Catholic families.
Shashi Dharan said the owner of the church property has asked the archdiocese to vacate the place as he was threatened by Hindu radicals.
Earlier on June 1, the archdiocesan team went to Farrukh Nagar in Gurugram district, some 55 km southwest of New Delhi, after the Station House Officer of the police station there asked them to come and discuss a complaint from some village chiefs about a church built there in 2020 to serve seven Catholic families.
As the chiefs did not turn on that day, the church team returned the following day. Chiefs from five villages turned up on that and questioned the church team about the need for a church there. At the same time some 300 people, members of the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Gau Rakshak (cow protection) teams also came to the station.
The police officer asked the archdiocesan team if they have a document for the church land, which they submitted. However, the Hindu groups said they would not allow the church in the village, Shashi Dharan said.
The archdiocese of Delhi that welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 9, Easter Sunday, today struggles to practice the fundamental right to religion guaranteed by the Indian constitution, bemoans a Church observer.
The incidents took place in Haryana state that is now ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which also leads the federal coalition government.