Three Christian churches attacked in southern India (Roundup)

Sep 21, 2008, 12:45 GMT

New Delhi - Three churches were attacked in a fresh round of communal violence in India's southern Karnataka state, officials and news reports said Sunday.

A group of people broke into a church in the Maryiannana Palya area of the state capital Bangalore Saturday night and damaged furniture and artefacts, city Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said over telephone.

Bidari said the perpetrators used iron rods to break in and looted the donations chest. 'We are investigating whether these men were professional robbers or religious fanatics,' he said.

In the second incident, also in Bangalore, attackers throwing stones damaged a statue in the grounds of a church in Rajrajeshwari Nagar area in the early hours of Sunday, Bidari said.

A third attack took place at Siddapura in Kodagu district where window panes of a church were found broken on Sunday morning, IANS news agency reported quoting local police officials.

Christians in north-east Bangalore set up road blocks and held demonstrations on the streets to protest against the attack on the church in Mariyannana Palya.

The fresh attacks on churches in Karnataka follows the Friday arrest of Mahendra Kumar, state chief of the Hindu right-wing Bajrang Dal, on charges of inciting communal violence.

The Bajrang Dal had earlier taken responsibility for a spate of attacks on churches since September 14 in Mangalore, Udupi and Chikamagulur districts, claiming retribution for 'forced conversions' by local Christian groups.

Demonstrations by Christians after the attacks led to violent clashes between the two communities and the police.

More than 70 people, including 45 policemen, were injured in the violence in Mangalore.

India's federal Home Ministry issued a warning to Karnataka's Hindu right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party government to bring the situation under control and prevent any attacks on minority groups in the state.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa was quoted as saying that Sunday's incidents were a case of failure on the part of the police. Yedyurappa had earlier asked the police to tighten security at all Christian churches ahead of Sunday prayers.

Hindus comprise about 85 per cent of Karnataka's 52.7-million population, while Christians comprise about 2 per cent. About 11 per cent of the state's population is Muslim.