Chandigarh: After Delhi, its Haryanas turn to target churches. On a complaint lodged by Father Subash Chand of Williwarsh Church, a case has been registered against 14 people on charges of vandalising an under-construction church in Kaimri village of Hisar district, 260km from Chandigarh, although no arrests have been made so far.
Father Subhash Chand was reportedly away in Ambala when his under construction church was desecrated.
According to Inspector General (Hisar Range) Anil Kumar Rao, the priest has named 14 persons who had threatened him earlier in his complaint. Based on this, a case was registered under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 295 (destroying, damaging a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class of persons), 380 (theft in a building), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.
The local situation remains tense and the Haryana Police have deployed a large number of personnel in the village and restricted the entry of outsiders to prevent the incident from snowballing into a major one.
There are contrary reports about whether the construction was intended to be a house, and later became a church instead. According to some versions, the church was coming up in an unauthorised colony in Kaimri village. Like all other residents, Subhash Chand had bought a plot there and was constructing a house. But he has complained that about a month ago when he installed a cross outside the house, activists of the Bajrang Dal and some local residents had objected to his making a church there.
Other reports state that on March 6, a group of youths entered the plot where the church was being built, and forcibly installed a Hanuman idol there. Chand has alleged that the accused threatened him with dire consequences if he proceeded with the construction.
According to some reports local villagers have alleged that the priest was trying to construct the church despite the fact that there was no Christian in the entire village. Media reports also said villagers were angry over the priest’s alleged efforts to convert some of the residents. They alleged, the priest had bought the piece of land for building a house but started constructing a church instead.On his return from Ambala, Father Subhash Chand reportedly found the place vandalised. Inside the building the Holy Cross had been damaged and an idol of Lord Hanuman had been installed. A flag with the image of Lord Ram had also been installed there.
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