Hindu extremists attack Indian church, place idol inside

TADIPATRI, India — Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organization damaged a church building and installed an idol of the Hindu god Hanuman inside it on May 23 in Tadipatri, Anatapur, in Andhra Pradesh state.

The All India Christian Council (AICC) reported that at about 9 a.m. the extremists from the World Hindu Council attacked Indian Pentecostal Church’s Holy Spirit Prayer House, which was under construction.

Pastor Venugopal Reddy approached Tadipatri police, but officers refused to help him. After local Christian leaders’ intervention, police questioned the attackers. The AICC reported that Reddy had acquired government permission to build the church building.