The Hindu : Karnataka / Udupi News : Minorities panel chief visits prayer hall

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Udupi

Minorities panel chief visits prayer hall

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, SEPT. 14. K.M. Masood, Chairman of the Minorities Commission, on Tuesday visited the New Life Fellowship prayer hall in the city, which was ransacked by a group on Sunday.

After inspecting the hall, talking to the pastor and some members of the congregation, Mr. Masood asked the police to take action. Mr. Masood assured the New Life Fellowship members that protection would be given to them.

E.W. Frank, President of the Karnataka Full Gospel Pastors Association (the New Life Fellowship is a member of the Association), submitted a memorandum to Mr. Masood on the occasion.

In the memorandum, Mr. Frank said the New Life Fellowship was holding its regular morning worship on Sunday. At about 11.15 a.m., a group entered its premises and ransacked it. The group allegedly assaulted the pastor Gopinath, Kline, and Rikith.

Conversion alleged

Meanwhile, Jagadish Karanth, State Convener of the Hindu Jagaran Vedike, on Tuesday alleged that the New Life Fellowship was carrying on conversion activities in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

He told presspersons here that the New Life Fellowship had been propagating Christianity to Hindus in the rural areas of these districts. While propagating Christianity, the followers of New Life Fellowship were denigrating Hinduism and Hindu deities, he alleged. He said that when conversion activities first came to the notice of the vedike, it reported the matter to the police.

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