Indian police kill three as violence sparked by Hindu nationalist hostility to Christians continues
December 29, 2007 8:39 am Hindu nationalismIndian police shoot three dead, BBC, December 29, 2007
Police in the eastern Indian state of Orissa shot and killed at least three people on Thursday in continuing communal violence, officials say.
Police opened fire on a large crowd of Hindus after a village police station was set on fire.
The crowd had been complaining about a lack of protection after Christians set fire to several Hindu homes.
Christians had retaliated after 19 churches were destroyed in violence that began on Christmas Eve….
Members of the hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said Christians sparked the violence by attacking one of their leaders, Swami Laxamananda Saraswati, on Monday.
Hindu groups also accuse Christian missionaries of forcing tribal people and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity.
But Christians deny the claims and accuse the Hindus of objecting to them celebrating Christmas.