Catholics have expressed shock at the vandalism of religious icons at Edlapadu Mandal, Guntur District in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Some unidentified persons vandalized the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mother Mary on Saturday, May 14, on the premises of Rahadhari Maatha PunyaKshetram, Edlapadu in the Diocese of Guntur.
When some parishioners came to know about the incident, they informed the matter to the police.
Learning upon the incident, senior police officials such as Deputy Superientnt of Police Vijay Baskar Rao (Narasaraopet), Rural Circle Inspector Subba Rao (Chilakaluripeta), and Sub-Inspector Rambabu (Edlapadu) rushed to the spot.
The police opened an investigation into the matter following a complaint lodged by Father Subhash Chandra Bose, Parish Priest.
Minister Vidadala Rajini, a Member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly visited the area on Sunday with other higher officials.
“Religious tolerance was a part of Indian culture. Strict action would be taken if anyone tries to disrupt it,” she said.
She also asked the police department to speed up the investigation in finding the unidentified persons who vandalized the statues.
The Diocese of Guntur is composed of more than a hundred parishes with 3,50,000 Catholics. As many as 230 priests and 730 nuns work in the diocese. - Muddada Kranthi Swaroop / RVA Telegu
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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