4 Catholics arrested after mob disrupts Mass in India

Police in the western Indian state of Rajasthan have arrested four Catholics after they confronted a Hindu nationalist mob, who forcefully entered a parish substation and disrupted the Eucharistic celebration.

The four, along with 11 others, were booked for serious offenses like rioting and attempted murder, besides wrongful restraint, breach of peace, and illegal conversion, among other charges.

A local court remanded the four Catholics in custody.

“It is very unfortunate that our people have been accused of serious criminal offenses and arrested for opposing right-wing Hindu activists’ illegal acts,” Father Arvind Amliyar told UCA News on April 3.

The priest of Bandaria parish under Udaipur diocese said some 13 Hindu activists forced their way and disrupted the Eucharistic celebration at the parish substation on May 1 in Kalinjara, a village in Banswara district.

“They entered the substation during Communion and started filming it on their mobiles, and then began alleging religious conversion activity,” the priest said. “They also alleged that a cow had been killed for the community feast.”

The parishioners tried to stop them, which led to a scuffle.

“One of them even tried to threaten our men with a knife, but he was overpowered, and the knife was snatched from him,” Amliyar said.

The police arrived and arrested four Catholics, including a retired government school teacher, as if it were all premeditated, he added.

The Hindu mob staged a protest outside the police station and demanded action against the parishioners.

“Our people also went to the police station with a complaint against the Hindu activists, but the police refused to accept it, saying a case was already registered,” the priest said.

Bishop Devprasad John Ganawa of Udaipur condemned the incident, saying, “Such actions lead to disharmony in society.”

“We are all living in a constitutionally governed society where everyone has freedom to practice and propagate the religion of one’s choice, and which should be respected by all,” the Divine Word prelate told UCA News on May 4.

One of the 11 accused, who did not want to be named, said they were planning to approach senior police officers in the district.

“We will fight this case as it has now become important for us to clear our names regarding the fake charges,” he said.

The parishioners regretted that the police in their village had sided with the mob instead of taking action against them for disturbing a Holy Mass.

Rajasthan is among 13 Indian states with stringent laws that criminalize religious conversion. Most of them are ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Christian groups have challenged the constitutional validity of the anti-conversion laws in the Supreme Court, the top constitutional court in the country.

The top court has agreed to examine their pleas, but has not granted any stay on the implementation of the laws.

Christians account for 0.15 percent of Rajasthan’s approximately 70 million people, with Hindus making up around 88 percent.

This article was originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/4-catholics-arrested-after-mob-disrupts-mass-in-india/113116