Protestant Church in India Set on Fire, Destroyed

Hindu extremists have set fire to and destroyed a Church in a small Christian village in Southern India.

According to Fides, a small Protestant church built with bamboo and straw in Tadur, was attacked and burned to the ground. The church was the only Christian place of worship in the area.

Police investigations are underway, as the identities of the extremists are not yet known. However, local Christians in the area believe that members of a radical Hindu group set the church ablaze. 

The church was in the district of Mahabubnagar, which has been subject to more than a dozen, anti-Christian attacks in recent months. This district is part of the new state of Telangana, officially created in the Indian Federation a few months ago.

"Before this incident, on several occasions,” Pastor Srinivas, a Christian from the village, said, “Hindu extremists threatened me, warning me not to come to the village and not to build the church."

Reverend Ronald John, Chairman of the Joint Commission of the Christians in Telangana, noted that there has been an increase in attacks against Christians.

The right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, or the Indian People's Party, is one of the two major parties in the Indian political system, along with the Indian National Congress.

Since 2014, it has become the country's largest political party in terms of representation in the national parliament and state assemblies.