Church burned down amid Telangana protest in AP

Hindutva radicals burned down a Church on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at Metpally in Andhra Pradesh.

The incident even cropped up in the media but was reported as the result of mob fury after government decided to carve a separate Telangana state.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), however, strongly believes that the Jesus Lights Manna Church in Karimnagar district was a deliberate target of Hindutva extremists.

The advocacy group reported that investigations into the incident clearly pointed to the role of RSS/BJP activists who allegedly poured petrol on the building to set it on fire.

Claimed to have taken place at 2 am, the fire burnt to ashes the "main entrance door of the church, the altar, window panels, amplifier, service books and Bibles."

It was only at 4 am the church inferno was discovered and later informed to Rev. Mengu Elia, the pastor of the church.

The incident was reported to Metpally Police Station and an FIR filed against the suspected Hindutva activists.

Sub Inspector Venkataswamy and Inspector Manohar, according to GCIC, have "arrested BJP leader Gangaram and another culprit who were directly involved in setting the church on fire."

Meanwhile, Karnataka is again in the news for persecution of Christians on false conversion charges.

Early this morning, police arrested the St. Paul's Methodist Church choir team and its pastor after false complaints from a group of RSS activists.

"The choir group under the leadership of Rev. Nandakumar were visiting their member's homes near white field on 12th morning," reported GCIC.

"A group claiming to be members from RSS in jeeps and bikes stopped the choir members and abused them alleging them of converting people," the Bangalore-based group added.

The white field police later arrested the Christians "for questioning on the alleged conversion activities."

On intervention of GCIC, the choir was let off at 4 am on the dawn of 12th December.