AFTER a lull in violence against Christians in Karnataka, fresh attacks were reported again recently.
A group of eight believers were beaten and dragged to the police station. Their crime? Conducting evening prayers.
The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said the victims, mostly workers in a coffee estate in Gonikoppa near Madikeri, were praying when a group of people belonging to the Bajrang Dal stormed into the house and disrupted the meeting.
They verbally abused the Christians and forcibly took them to the police station, GCIC said in a statement.
All the believers are members of Shakina Full Gospel Church in Hunsur, Karnataka.
According to GCICI, the police ironically asked the victims not to hold prayer meetings in their houses. They said they would be unable to provide them protection if such incidents took place again.
Six months ago, 11 pastors were arrested and lodged in the Madikeri jail for a week for leading a prayer meeting in the area.
