Members of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, a hard-line Hindu party, vandalised a Catholic School in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

The Holy Cross High School for girls, in Nagala Park, is run by Holy Cross Sisters. The school principal reports that the pupils who, along with the teachers were witnesses to the attack, are in a state of shock.

The vandalism “is shocking in itself but is also indicative of the more strident confrontation that fundamentalist groups plan for religious minorities in the run up to the general elections,” said John Dayal, general secretary of the All India Christian Council. The attack by the “youth wing of the Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the ruling BJP, is a matter of grave concern,” he told AsiaNews.

The incident took place on January 22 around 1.30 pm (local time), during class time. School principal Sr Bharati told Indian Catholic Matters that about 20 activists forced their way into the school shouting slogans against the school management. They ransacked the office, breaking windows and damaging religious items, including the cross and the statue of Our Lady.

“They complained about the fees and started abusing me and the staff,” Sr Bharati said. “When I asked them to stay calm and offered to discuss the issue peacefully, they started breaking the office furniture and the glass windows.”

In the evening a complaint was filed with the police. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh said that two people were arrested whilst another 18 are on the run. The police also deployed some agents to protect the school, which is closed for now.

“Ours is a school for girls,” Sr Bharati explained. “The attack was so sudden and heinous, that the students from the lower classes were trembling with fear and are still in the state of shock. It was a traumatic situation and we could do nothing except watch the act of vandalism.”