New Delhi: In BJP-ruled Manipur, three churches were demolished by the administration in Imphal East district on Tuesday. The churches, one of which had existed since 1974, were demolished for being “illegal constructions” on government land, reports Northeast News.
The three churches are the Evangelical Baptist Convention Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church Manipur and Catholic Holy Spirit Church, reports Deccan Herald. More than 41% of Manipur’s population is Christian.
The demolition was carried out at the Tribal Colony in the early hours of Tuesday in the presence of a large posse of security personnel. The churches were demolished days after the Manipur high court vacated its 2020 order for status quo on an order for an eviction drive by the BJP-led state government.
Today 11th April 2023 during the break of dawn at around 2:00am the Evangelical Baptist Convention Church (EBCC) had be destructed by the Manipur Government
With the given information it is said to believe that the Police’s weren’t allowing the church members to enter the church pic.twitter.com/QBXF6W4tgR— Nampi Romeo Hansong (@Nampiromeo2021) April 11, 2023
The matter reached court after a local organisation moved the Manipur high court. The order of the High Court of Manipur bench of Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran passed on April 4 this year said that the decision of the state authorities in evicting the respondent churches are based on the documents, policy decisions and pursuant to the directions of the Supreme Court.
Chief minister N. Biren Singh, reports Northeast Live, declined to comment much on the demolition of churches, saying that the demolition was in accordance with the court order…
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here