Hindu fundamentalists disrupt prayer meeting in Maharashtra

A 3–day prayer and healing meeting, organized by the Believers Church in Panvel near Mumbai, Maharashtra, was disrupted by Hindu fundamentalists who have accused the believers of trying to lure people to convert to Christianity.

The prayer meeting which began on March 5, did not encounter any trouble the first day. However, on March 6, a mob comprising of about 100 Hindu radicals congregated at the venue of the meeting and began shouting anti–Christian slogans.

However, the organizers attempted to ignore them and continued with their preaching. This appeared to have enraged the Hindu activists who the rushed to the dias and grabbing the microphone, shouted, "Christians have come here to give the message of peace; but all the world wars have started from the European countries. These people are telling you all that Jesus will cure you of AIDS; but their Pope died suffering from a disease named Parkinson's. Why did Jesus not save the Pope's life then? Practice the rituals as prescribed by Hindu Dharma and you all shall be showered with God's blessings."

Then the fundamentalists began shouting Hindu slogans, "Jay Bhavani, Jay Shivaji," before proceeding to lodge a complaint with Kalamboli police against the organization for spreading superstition and misinformation.

It may be recalled that earlier, February 19, a mob of Hindu extremists, armed with sticks, beat five Deliver Church Bible College students in Kolshe, near Panvel. Around 15 to 20 youths used the sticks and their fists to beat Elisha Amolik, 22, Suresh Sonu Masiha, 21, Mishak Kiran Samuel, 20, Bramhanand Pradhan, 22 and Kartik Ekka, 20, who were distributing religious tracts on the Mumbai Goa highway at Panvel. While Pradhan and Ekka sustained severe head injuries, the other students suffered internal injuries.