Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore Church Attacks ; Seven Arrested - CM Calls for Emergency Meeting
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Sep 21: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has convened an emergency meeting of top officials to evaluate the law and order situation in Bangalore following fresh attacks on churches in the wee hours of Sunday September 21. The meeting will also be attended by Home Minister Dr V S Acharya, it is learnt.
As per earlier reports, miscreants have attacked Infant Jesus Church at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar and St James Church at Mariannana Palya, Hebbal and damaged church property by breaking open the main doors of the church.
A large number of Christians are beginning to gather near Hebbal Ring Road protesting against these atrocities. They have already blocked the traffic on the road.
Police have already arrested seven people in connection with these attacks. But so far they have not confirmed as to who these people were nor their affiliation to any political party.
Opposition leader in the Assembly Mallikarjuna Kharge and local MLAs are at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar and are taking stock of the situation.
In a separate incident last night, miscreants have attacked a church at Siddapura near Coorg.
Churches attacked in Bangalore
Mangalore, Sept 21: Fresh attacks were reported against churches in Bangalore on Sunday morning. Unidentified persons attacked three churches in the city, namely Saint Jesus and Holy Name of Jesus and another at Banasawadi. Name of the third church is yet to be confirmed.
Saint Jesus is located at Mariam Palaya and Holy Name of Jesus at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar. The incident occurred at around 4:30 am.
The attacks came after after the arrest of Bajrang Dal state convenor Mahendra Kumar on Friday night from Mangalore in connection with the recent communal violence in the state.
Soon after the attacks on churches on September 15 in parts of Mangalore and Udupi in coastal regions and in Chikamaglur in Malnad area, Bajrang Dal owned responsibility for them, claiming that incidents of forced conversion had prompted them.
The arrest followed a stern warning issued by the Centre to four states in the wake of continuing violence against the Christian community. In the advisory to Karnataka, the Union Home Ministry brought to the notice of the state government that elements behind such incidents continue to roam freely. The advisory was, however, not sent under the emergency provisions of the Constitution (Article 355).
On its part, the Karnataka government described the advisory, the second to be issued, as "hasty and unwarranted".
"It is a hasty step. The Centre should have waited for some more time. Our government has already brought the situation under control. There are no casualties in the attack on churches in the state," Karnataka Home Minister V S Acharya said.
The attacks were allegedly carried out by members of the Sangh Parivar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.
The B S Yeddyurappa government said that former Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh High Courts judge B K Somashekhara will probe the recent attacks on churches and subsequent violence in the state.
A number of churches and prayer halls were damaged last Sunday in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi and coffee-rich Chikmagalur. Christians' protest the next day in Dakshina Kannada district headquarters Mangalore turned violent as they clashed with Hindu groups and police.
Over 70 people, including 45 policemen, were injured in the Mangalore violence.