Christian prayer meet attacked in Bhopal, 8 hurt

‘‘Some of them had big tilaks on their foreheads and a bearded youth was sporting a saffron sash,’’ said Pastor Kishor Sadhvani, who had come from Nagpur to deliver a sermon. Both he and Parera are among the four people who were admitted to hospital with severe injures.

There was no provocation nor was any conversion activity going on, Sadhvani said. ‘‘They started pelting stones at the house and smashed vehicles before storming into the hall.’’

SP Anant Kumar Singh said it was difficult to identify the culprits because the complainants had not named anyone yet.

Dr Indira Ayengar, member of the state Minority Commission, accused the police and the administration of complicity with the attackers. She said she would give the police a few hours to make arrests, after which she would submit a list of 10 people who, she said, were behind the attack.

Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi said the Sangh was raking up false cases of conversion to instigate communal hatred. Bajrang Dal leader Devendra Rawat said his organisation had nothing to do with the attack.