A group of people in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district forcefully entered a local church last night and vandalised a statue of Jesus and Mary. They also burned the pastor’s vehicle.
CCTV footage from the church shows a person wearing red headgear repeatedly beating the idol with an axe, decapitating it, and laying the head down. At one moment, they appear to hide behind the monument, probably to escape detection.
Cops stated they had “vital clues” and that the act was carried out by four persons. An FIR has been filed.
“A few notorious elements tried to vandalise the idol of Jesus and set ablaze a car at Church in Patti. We’re investigating the matter and have vital clues. There were 4 people, we are behind the culprits. We hope to solve it soon. An FIR has been lodged,” RS Dhillon, Senior Superintendent of Police,” said.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has called the incident “unfortunate,” saying that no one will be permitted to disrupt the state’s communal harmony.
A group of Christians on Wednesday protested the incident and blocked all roads leading to Khemkaran, Bhikhiwind, Patti, Harike and Ferozepur.
The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the accused.
The incident happened on a day the Akal Takht Jathedar, the head of the highest temporary seat of Sikhs, issued a statement against “forced conversions” by Christian missionaries.
He stated that Singh and SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami demanded action against those who force people to convert. He also demanded withdrawal of FIRs against some Nihangs who were charged for allegedly obstructing an event organized by Christian missionaries at Daduana village in Amritsar district on Monday.
