Kolhapur (Maharashtra): In a shocking attack, two priests from Ichalkaranji, in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, were severely beaten up by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists.

The priests - Ajit Billawi and Ramesh Kagargole - of the Friends Missionary Prayer Band were dragged to the local police station after they were beaten up in full public view. They were detained by the police after activists lodged a complaint against them alleging that they were converting Hindus under coercion.

Even more shockingly, the police detained the priests but took no action against the activists who beat them up.

"It's highly shameful. It's as if the Bajrang Dal does just not understand the concept of law and order," said Congress leader Rajiv Shukla, reacting sharply to the incident.

"A high-level probe has been ordered into the incident. The guilty will get the strongest possible punishment," said Mahrashtra Home Minister, R R Patil.

Sukhwinder Singh, Kolapur's Superintendent of Police, said a complaint was registered against the people who were involved in the attack on the two priests. Singh said investigations were on to identify the attackers, who were local residents, as also said to be VHP activists.

Last week, a pastor in Jaipur was attacked by a right wing group for preaching Christianity. The police felt that time that the presence of media cameras added fuel to the fire.

(Inputs: CNN-IBN & Hindu )