4 Indian priests charged with rioting after resisting Hindu group's attempt to take over land

Four Indian Catholic priests have been charged with rioting and criminal intimidation after they resisted a Hindu nationalist group's attempt to take over a piece of land in front of a church-run hospital in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh state.

According to UCA News, some members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the pro-Hindu party that runs the state government, have tried to take over the land on Jan. 27 and accused the church of illegally occupying the site.

The disputed land lies adjacent to Pushpa Mission Hospital, a 44-year-old facility with 200 beds. Hospital authorities have claimed that the public land had been granted to the hospital by the local civic body for use as a parking area and to maintain its greenery.

The crowd attempting to take over the land was led by Gagan Singh, who claimed to be the owner of the public land and is the assistant to the local BJP parliamentarian for the area.

Tension arose when revenue officials arrived to measure and demarcate the land and there were reportedly attempts to demolish the boundary wall despite resistance from church officials.

Priests and hospital staff had created a human shield to block a bulldozer, while the crowd began throwing stones at the hospital.

The police eventually arrived to disperse the crowd, but the priests soon learned that four of them had been charged with rioting and criminal intimidation of people, according to Fr. Nirappel, one of the accused.

An official of Madhav Nagar police station, where the case was registered, said that no one has been arrested yet.

Nirappel contended that it was "just another instance of harassment" in the state, where Christians face violence and harassment at the hands of Hindu groups on a regular basis.

The hospital had reportedly used the disputed land for at least four decades. "We do not know how an owner has suddenly come to claim public land," said Nirappel, adding that they "only want a competent authority to certify its rightful owner."

The priest asserted that the case is part of a well-organized plan by Hindu groups to tarnish the image of Christians by portraying them as law breakers.

A police force has since been deployed outside the land, and the High Court had stayed any action to demolish any part of the missionary hospital.

Hospital Director Anthony Pulickamandapam, who is also one of the accused, said that the hospital has ownership documents for "every inch of land we posses" as well as a receipt from the civic body for paying mandatory fees to use the land.