Attack on churches, a political gimmick: AICC

Mangalore, Sep 27: In a fresh incident of attack, miscreants pelted stones at a place of worship at Shambur in Bantwala taluk in Karnatak's Coastal city of Mangalore. Police said that the glass cover of a statue on the compound wall of the place of worship was damaged in the incident on Friday, Sep 26. Following the incident, security has been beefed up in the area.

Meanwhile, the All-India Christian Council (AICC), upset over the attack on churches on Friday, Sep 26 claimed that it was aimed at generating passion before the upcoming general elections.

The organisation accused the Centre and some state governments of acting slowly and demanded immediate deployment of army in Orissa, which has seen the most violence.

The Council said, "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should visit Orissa to understand fully the plight of Christians in the state after a VHP leader was killed there."

"Over one hundred churches were burned, dozens of Christians killed and thousands attacked in their homes across India in the last month. We expect more violence in the days leading up to national elections, which are required by May 2009," All India Christian Council Regional Secretary Madhu Chandra said in a release.

"They talk of conversion as if this were an evil, unnatural thing. They make accusations about foreign funding of churches to create fear. What we haven't seen is firm progress toward permanent changes that will bring mob leaders to justice and stop future violence," he said.

OneIndia News