ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) -- A church under construction in Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh, was demolished at around 9:00 AM on Sunday, May 23, 2010 by a group of Hindu radicals, who then placed in what was left of the building, an idol of Hindu god Hanuman.

According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the church was destroyed by members of Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks (RSS), a Hindu radical group, despite the fact that the believers had secured all the necessary permits to build their house of worship in that place.

“They didn’t like the building being put up in that spot and so they decided to attack and then destroy it and then put up an idol of a Hindu God,” said a spokesperson who had been following the situation.

Pastor Vijay, the minister of the church, along with a few believers approached the nearest police station for help, but ANS has been told that the police allegedly refused to file a complaint against the Hindu radicals.

The Global Council of Indian Christians has demanded that the Andhra Pradesh State Chief Minister, Rosiah, extend protection for churches and Christians in the state.

James Varghese is a reporter for Masihat newspaper in India, and is also a freelance journalist working for ANS.