India asks Karnataka to halt attacks against churches
India's government has warned Hindu nationalist authorities in a southern state to halt attacks against churches, the federal Home Ministry said yesterday.
In an official order, the government told Karnataka state leaders to "bring the situation under control," a ministry spokesman said.
More than a dozen churches in Karnataka were attacked over the weekend, following similar clashes in the eastern state of Orissa, which left nearly 20 dead.
The Orissa violence was triggered by the murder of a revered Hindu priest and four followers on August 23. Thousands of riot-hit people, mostly Christians, were forced to flee their homes and many are still living in state-run camps.
Hindu-Christian violence occurs periodically in India, where 2.3 percent of the country's population of more than 1.1 billion are Christians.
Hardline Hindus accuse missionaries of "bribing" poor tribals and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity by offering free education and health care.
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