01/04/2022 India (International Christian Concern) – According to Morning Star News, a Christian-run school in India’s Madhya Pradesh state was attacked by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists armed with iron rods and stones. The mob was reportedly incited by a video on YouTube that falsely claimed the school’s personnel was converting Hindus to Christianity.

On December 6, a mob of 400 to 500 radical Hindu nationalists attacked St. Joseph School in Ganj Basoda, located in the Vidisha District of Madhya Pradesh. The mob, armed with iron rods and stones, shouted Hindu nationalist slogans such as Jai Shri Ram (Victory to Lord Ram) and Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Hail mother India) as they broke into the school’s grounds.

Morning Star News reports the assailants broke through the school’s gates and pelted the school’s windows with stones. The mob also terrorized the school’s staff and students who were taking a board exam when the attack occurred.

“Stones reached near the classrooms, and the exam had to be stopped, and the children shifted to a safer location where they could continue their exam,” Bishop James Athikalam told Morning Star News.

“They made a big noise,” Anthony Pynumkal, principal of St. Joseph School, told Morning Star News. “They all together pushed the gate, and the lock of the gate broke, and they came inside.”

“They had iron rods and stones, and once inside, they started to pelt stones,” Pynamkal continued. “All the elevations of the school structure are made of glass. Teacher vehicles were also parked here, which they vandalized as well.”

According to Morning Star News, the attack on St. Joseph School was incited by a YouTube video posted by a Hindu extremist group. The video reportedly claimed St. Joseph School converted and baptized eight Hindu children on October 31. The video’s accusations have since been proven false after local police investigated the matter.

Police arrested 14 people in connection with the attacks on the school; however, all have been released on bail. Four of the individuals arrested have been identified as members of the Bajrang Dal, and the rest as members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, both Hindu nationalist groups.

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: [email protected].