Churches, schools attacked, vehicles torched

AHMEDABAD, Dec 27 (PTI) — Churches and missionary schools were attacked, vehicles torched and seven persons injured in fresh outbreak of communal violence in Surat and Dangs districts of Gujarat even as the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad announced the stepping up of stir against alleged conversion of Hindus.

The National Commission for Minorities, taking a "serious note" of the attacks on Christians in Dangs district on Christmas Day, announced it would summon Gujarat Chief Secretary and other senior state officials and ask for an explanation.

The attacks on churches, missionary schools and houses of Christian missionaries and burning of vehicles took place at Subir, Gadhvi, Divankhedi and Nadagkhadi villages adjoining Ahwa, the police said.

Mobs attacked a church and a school run by Christians at a village near Ahwa and stoned a church in the Limbayat police station area in Surat city yesterday.

At least seven persons were injured when sarpanch of Vaki village, 30 km from Ahwa town of Dangs district, which was rocked by clashes between Hindus and Christians on Friday, opened fire from his rifle to scare away a mob that attacked his house late last night, the police said.

The sarpanch Dinkar Gavli has been taken into custody, they said.

Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya, said 19 persons from the two communities had been arrested so far in connection with the violence at Ahwa.

The Minister said Hindus and Christians of the town agreed at today’s meeting to cooperate with each other in bringing back amity.

The authorities deployed two companies of state reserve police in the Dangs district to prevent recurrence of violence.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government in a press note dismissed as "false" reports in a section of the press about the damage to Hindu temples in Ahwa town but announced beefing up of security at temples in the area as a precautionary measure.

In Baroda, Union Textile Minister Kashiram Rana requested Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel to make adequate police bandobast in Ahwa and other places in south Gujarat for preventing violence.