Mob vandalise Church alleging religious conversion in Uttarakhand's Roorkee

A group of goons, including women, have reportedly vandalised a Churchin Solanipuram Colony in Roorkee, Haridwar on Sunday, alleging that the shrine was used for religious conversions, a report in Hindustan Times stated.

Elections are due in the state early next year.

The incident occurred whilst the prayers were being offered in the Church.

As per the victims of the attack, a group of around 500 people attacked the praying hall on Sunday morning raising slogans against Church owners.

The attackers alleged that the Christian missionaries and worshippers were carrying out religious conversion of some Hindus in the name of charity and religious gathering, the report stated.

According to the report in HT the angry mob vandalised the Church and manhandled some Christian devotees including women and representatives who tried to calm them down and intervene.

N Wilson, who is associated with the Christian prayer house for the past few years, denied allegations by the mob.

He was quoted by HT as saying, for the past two decades regular prayers, mass meetings and charity related activities were being carried out from the prayer house.

Hindustan Times quoted Station house officer, Civil Lines, Amarchand Sharma as saying that police reached the place as soon as they got the information about the violence taking place there.

Circle Officer Roorkee, Vivek Kumar, said that the matter has come to light and the police is preparing to lodge a case against the culprits, with an inspector rank officer probing the matter.