Church and car vandalized, Christians attacked, in West Bengal, India

Monday, January 27, 2020

by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) - A mob of Hindu nationalists attacked a church prayer meeting in West Bengal, India on Dec. 27, destroying the pastor's car, smashing church windows and sound equipment, and forcing believers to flee the scene.

The group of eight men shouted Jai Shri Rama ("Glory to Lord Rama") as they descended on the Christians in Bhagwanpur, East Midnapore.

In his police report Pastor Alok Ghosh claimed they were part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the extremist parent organization of the Bharatiya Janata Party currently in power at the national level under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

So far, only three men have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Vijayesh Lal, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, claimed in a letter to Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December that the rising tide of violence against Christians in India has seen 250 "hate crimes" in 2019 alone.