A minibus carrying a Christian evangelism team was brutally attacked last week by Hindu nationalists near the village of Korrakudu in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Several passengers were injured during the attack, and the minibus was destroyed.

The team of about 15 evangelists from Gospel Hall Church, based in the district headquarters of Anantapur, undertook a gospel outreach effort in Korrakudu but was forbidden to preach by the villagers, as a local Hindu festival was underway.

To respect the villagers’ sentiments, the evangelism team decided to go elsewhere. But, as they neared the outskirts of the village, a gang of roughly 30 Hindu nationalists on motorbikes, some wearing orange T-shirts and turbans, ambushed the minibus from all sides.

The assailants used cricket bats, stones, and wooden rods as weapons to break the vehicle’s windows. They also brought petrol with them to set the bus on fire. The evangelists managed to escape before the fire started.

In a video of the attack, which became viral on social media, the assailants are seen beating the Christians while shouting slogans of Hindu gods and smashing the vehicle with stones and rods.

As they were about to set fire to the vehicle, one of the Hindu leaders stopped the other attackers.

The following day, a large group of about 500 pastors under the banner of Anantapur Zilla Pastors Welfare Association (AZPWA) reached the office of the superintendent of police and filed a complaint against the attackers, compelling them to register a First Information Report, which is necessary to take further action.

In the complaint, some of the pastors identified more than 15 leaders of a Hindu nationalist group that led the attack.

The news of the AZPWA’s complaint spread like wildfire throughout the state. The elders of Korrakudu village immediately rushed to the police superintendent’s office. They requested that the pastors’ association withdraw the complaint, stating that if action is taken in accordance with the law, the future of young people will be destroyed.

The chief minister and the home minister of Andhra also urged the pastors to be lenient on the complaint they had registered. They assured that the government will work toward preventing such attacks on the Christian community.

Speaking on behalf of the pastors’ association of Anantapur, the Christian Joint Action Committee (CJAC) stated that Christianity is about forgiveness and that they have no desire to pursue the case against the youth. However, since the vehicle was badly damaged, the police case will be used for insurance claims.

Archbishop Dr. John Daniel, president of CJAC, said that the youth are being misguided and provoked by right-wing organizations to take the law into their hands and attack Christians. He said youth should focus on their careers and not be influenced by political groups to commit violence.

The Dalit Tribal Rights Struggle Association, also called for strict legal action against those behind such incidents, warning that failure to act could push the state toward ethnic conflict.

Addressing a press conference, District Honorary President Madagalam Prasad said the Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to profess, practice, and propagate a religion of their choice. He alleged that forces intolerant of this constitutional right are resorting to violence and intimidation, and urged the government to act firmly against religious attacks.

Prasad cautioned that such unchecked mob violence would fuel religious fanaticism in the state and appealed to the government to take preventive steps to ensure protection for Christians and maintain communal harmony.

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