Pentecostal Christians are protesting the demolition of their church in the Indian city of Hyderabad, reported the Times of India.
Municipal workers demolished the church in the suburb of Moosarambagh to widen a road on June 16.
The Telangana Christian Council and local residents, who protested the demolition, say that the act was carried out with no prior notice from the government.
"The church had been functioning for two decades and there was no reason to demolish it as it did not cause any hindrance to anybody and everything related to the church was perfect," said K. Ermiah, pastor of the church.
Government officials said that the demolition was not sudden and had been planned for two years, the Times of India reported. The officials cited land encroachment as being the reason behind the demolishing. Another report said that the church was unauthorized.
The incident mirrors a similar case that occurred in Mumbai to a Catholic Church when a century-old cross was demolished on June 9.
