According to Indian media, this attack on the church is being seen as a repercussion of the statement made by the Akal Takht jathedar high priest Giani Harpreet Singh about “so-called Christian missionaries have been forcibly converting Sikhs”
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered a probe after four masked men allegedly vandalised a church in a village close to the Indo-Pak border in Punjab’s Tarn Tarn district. The incident took place on Wednesday in Takkarpura village of Patti town on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Chief Minister has promised of stringent action and said nobody will be allowed to disturb brotherhood and harmony in the state.
According to media reports four masked men entered the church, pointed a pistol at the watchman’s head and tied up his hands before vandalising the church. They also broke two idols and burnt the pastor’s car before leaving, the police said.
CCTV cameras installed inside the church captured the incident. After the incident, a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, Ranjit Singh Dhillon reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Heavy police deployment has been made in the area, the police said.
A case has been registered in the matter and efforts are on to arrest those behind the incident, Dhillon said. Ordering a probe into the incident, Mann said strict action will be taken against those involved in it.
According to Indian media, this attack on the church is being seen as a repercussion of the statement made by the Akal Takht jathedar high priest Giani Harpreet Singh as in a statement on social media Singh said, “So-called Christian missionaries have been forcibly converting Sikhs through fraudulent practices. Both sikhs and Hindus of Punjab are being misled and converted. All this is happening right under the government’s nose. Though there are provisions in the law to book for superstitious practices in the name of religion, no government is ready to act against them (missionaries) due to vote bank politics.’’
Appealing to the central government to control these conversation immediately Singh said, “Punjab is a border state and we know that foreign funding is coming here to run these religious campaigns.’’
Also, other Sikh leaders have been vocal against alleged conversion attempts by Christian missionaries in the state.
A group of Christians held a protest against the vandalisation of the church and blocked all routes leading to Khemkaran, Bhikhiwind, Patti, Harike and Ferozepur.
The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the accused. SSP Dhillon, who reached the protest site, assured the agitators that the culprits will be arrested soon.
“It is a conspiracy by some mischievous elements who wanted to disturb peace in the state,” the SSP said.
“We have taken stock of the situation and are investigating the matter. We will soon catch those who were behind this incident,” he added.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also condemned the incident.
He said such incidents are deliberate attempts by some mischievous elements to break the country and divide people.
While two days ago a group of Nihangs and their supporters disrupted an event organised by Christian missionaries at Daduana village in Amritsar district. The Nihang have also protested against the issue recently. “Interestingly the Akal Takht, backing the Nihangs as Singh had announced support for Nihang leader Baba Major Singh and 150 of his supporters who were booked under Sections 295, 296, 427, 148 and 149 of IPC at Jandiala Guru police station on Monday on the complaint of Christian pastor Raja. They want that a case should be registered against these `fake pastors’ under the Black Magic Act,” The Indian Express reported.
