CHANDIGARH: Tension erupted in Punjab's border district after church vandalised in Punjab's Tarn Taran district located close to the India-Pakistan border on Wednesday. A group of miscreants vandalised a three-storeyed church and broke the statues of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ. After keeping the security guard captive at gunpoint, the miscreants also set on fire to the pastor's car.

CCTV cameras captured images of the car catching fire and the sculptures being vandalised. On camera, someone was seen repeatedly striking the idol with a hammer. 

At the scene of the incident, Thakkarpura village, a sizable group of community members organised an ongoing sit-in protest to call for the arrest of the suspects and protection for the minority community.

The event occurs just one day after the Akal Takht Jathedar, the leader of the Sikh religion's highest temporal seat, condemned "forced conversions" by Christian missionaries.

"Sikhs have been coerced into becoming Christians by So-called Christian missionaries. Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus are being deceived and converted. The government is completely unaware that this is taking place. Despite the fact that superstitious acts committed in the name of religion are punishable by law, due to vote-bank politics, no government is willing to take action against the missionaries "said Giani Harpreet Singh.

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