Activists from a militant Hindu movement attacked a Christian meeting in the Annigere Gadag district of Karnataka state in India on August 11, 2009. The meeting was organized by the Seva Bharat (Mission India) organization along with the Evangelical Church of India and included a program for children and new believers in a community hall.
When Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists heard about the meeting, they stormed into the community hall and started beating up the organizers and later the participants, claiming that there could only be so many people because there had been massive forced conversion activities in the area.
The attackers took all the copies of the Bible and set them on fire in public, warning the organizers of dire consequences if they continued with such programs. In an attempt to calm tempers, police detained nine people among the organizers of the Christian meeting instead of taking any action against the culprits.
The All India Christian Council (AICC) has condemned the attack on Christians in the area and demanded the release of those arrested and swift action against the culprits. "Since the Christian community and its properties are under attack, full protection should be provided immediately," said an AICC spokesperson. Source: All India Christian Council
