ICC Note:

Homemade bombs and stones were thrown into a church in India’s Uttar Pradesh State over the weekend. The attack happened late in the night, so no Christians were in the church when the bombs exploded, damaging furniture and the windows of the church. Attacks on Christians and their places of worship have increased since 2014 when the Hindu nationalist BJP took power in India’s central government. Many blame the BJP’s Hindu nationalist platform and lack of enforcement of minority rights for the increase in attacks. Will the Christians in Uttar Pradesh see a similar weak reaction to this attack on their church? 

09/21/2016 India (Indian Express) – Country-made bombs and stones were thrown into a church in Lakhimpur Kheri district Saturday night, police said.

Some bike-borne men reportedly threw the “sutli” bombs and stones at Christ Church in Kotwali police station area. The bombs landed inside the church. One of them exploded, damaging window panes and furniture.

According to the church authorities, Sunday mass was performed on the pavement as people were “afraid” to go inside.

SP City (Lakhimpur Kheri) DM Chaudhary told The Indian Express that something that “looks like a bomb” was thrown inside the church. “It’s a mischievous act. We have sent the object for testing to verify its kind and intensity,” he added.

“We have lodged an FIR against unidentified men under Section 295 of IPC (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion) and Explosives Act. Interrogation is being done to identify the accused,” said SHO Kotwali Ramveer Chaudhary.

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