Won't allow any group to incite hatred: Modi

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday vowed to protect all religious groups after a string of attacks on churches in Delhi.

Addressing a Christian audience in the capital, he called on all religious groups to show restraint and respect.

Since December, five churches have been attacked, but this is the first time Modi has commented on the issue.

Critics say his Hindu nationalist BJP government is not doing enough to stop Hindu zealots targeting minorities.

"I condemn violence against any religion. We will act strongly against such violence," Modi said at a conference organised by Christian groups in Delhi on Tuesday.

"My government will not allow any group belonging to majority or minority to incite hatred against other communities."

Modi also said that "everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence".

Christian groups accuse hardline Hindu groups, emboldened by Mr Modi's landslide in last year's general election, of carrying out the recent attacks, but police say there is little evidence for this.

They say they have provided security to more than 200 churches in the capital.

Hindu temple vandalised in US

A Hindu temple was vandalized with hate message and swastika spray-painted on its wall in the US state of Washington, the latest incident that has shocked the Hindu community there.

The incident happened when unidentified miscreants sprayed swastika and painted "Get Out" on one of the walls of the temple in the Seattle Metropolitan area. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the entire North West.

Of late there has been increasing incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples in the US including one in Loudoun County, Virginia and Monroe, Georgia last year.