Churchgoers claim that the Hindutva mob creating ruckus was dispersed only after the arrival of the police team
NEW DELHI — Claiming religious conversion, a group of Bajrang Dal workers reportedly assaulted a pastor and some Christians in the Chhattisgarh city of Durg on Sunday.
According to complainants, evangelists were attacked at the Shilo Prayer Tower during a mass by the far-right Bajrang Dal men allegedly led by Jyoti Sharma, who is notorious for her Hindutva vigilantism. The pastor was reportedly mercilessly beaten with an iron rod and was spared further mauling only when a police team arrived at the spot. The churchgoers claimed that the Hindutva mob creating ruckus was dispersed only after the arrival of the police team, media reports reaching here said on Monday.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal leaders claimed that they arrived at the spot after receiving information that religious conversion was taking place. They also claimed that Hindutva workers, including women, who reached the spot to check, were attacked. The police said that an investigation into the complaints by the evangelists and Bajrang Dal activists is underway.
The arrest of two Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh on alleged charges of religious conversion and human trafficking was a major controversy. Although the incident put the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the defensive, similar attacks on Christians continued in Chhattisgarh.
After Chhattisgarh, Christian priests and nuns were also attacked in Odisha by Bajrang Dal activists on claims of religious conversion. It was only a few weeks ago that two priests and two nuns were attacked in Odisha.
The persecution of Christians by fringe Hindutva elements has escalated significantly since the BJP assumed power in 2014. There has been a surge in violence and intimidation against Christians, with Hindutva groups frequently accused of inciting violence. These groups view Christianity as a threat to Hindu dominance and often use false accusations of forced conversions to justify their attacks.
In recent years, the situation has deteriorated further, with reports of attacks on churches, prayer meetings, and Christian institutions on the rise.
According to the United Christian Forum, incidents of violence against Christians increased from fewer than 100 in 2014 to nearly 300 in 2018 and continued to rise annually, reaching approximately 750 in 2023 and 834 in 2024. States like Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh have been particularly hotbeds of anti-Christian violence, with many incidents going unpunished due to alleged government complicity or inaction. The anti-conversion laws enacted by various state governments have also been used to target Christians, often based on flimsy charges.
