A church was allegedly vandalised at Deralakate near Mangaluru, with unidentified attackers hurling stones and breaking its windowpane.According to the Mangaluru Police, the windowpanes and door of the St Joseph Church were damaged but no damage has been done to the idols of Mother Mary and Infant Jesus.
The church, located beside a graveyard in an isolated place, is 250 years old. The incident came into light when the church authorities noticed broken window panes and damaged doors on Wednesday morning. The district incharge Minister and State Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader visited the spot.
“Some anti-social elements threw a stone and damaged the church to create panic in society,” Khader said. He assured the arrest of culprits soon.This incident took place just few days after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to protect all religious groups. His comments were seen as a response to a series of attacks on churches in Delhi in the last three months.
“We are probing the matter. For now, we only know that one stone has been hurled. We are investigating whether there was an individual or group behind the incident,” Murugan said. A case has been registered and investigations are underway. The incident might have occured on late Tuesday night or in the early hours on Wednesday, Murugan said.