Seven arrested in connection with Raipur church vandalism incident

At least seven people have been arrested so far in connection with the attack on a church in Khamardih area of Chhattisgarh's Raipur city yesterday.

Five people were injured as a mob of alleged Bajrang Dal members barged into a church in Khamardih during prayers and began vandalising the room and attacking the people present.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the police has taken necessary action and added that the guilty would not be spared.

"We are in touch with the district administration, who has informed that necessary action would be taken and the guilty would be punished," Rijiju said.

Chhattisgarh Christian Forum President Arun Pannalal had yesterday told ANI that members of the Bajrang Dal chanting 'Jai Sri Ram' charged into the church and attacked woman, ripped their clothes off and also thrashed infants.

"They began alleging that people were being converted here. The police came here and seized the vehicles the attackers came here. They desecrated the Bible and some of the pictures that were hung on the wall," Pannalal told ANI.

He asserted that it was a matter of shame for the government that minorities were being constantly attacked.

"This is the fourth attack on churchgoers in Chhattisgarh in the past five weeks. We are trying to get a First Information Report filed," Pannalal said.