Chhattisgarh: Row erupts after Hindu groups alleged conversion attempts in an impermanent Church in Durg

A row erupted in the Padmabhan Nagar area of Durg, Chhattisgarh, after members of two communities got into an altercation over an alleged attempt at conversion on Tuesday night, February 13. The altercation occurred after members of a Hindu outfit arrived at a premise under Durg Kotwali police station limits where the members of the Christian community had already gathered already.

According to the information received, the verbal confrontation between the members of the two communities escalated after the Hindu community members alleged the Christian group was organising religious events in an impermanent Church being operated in the said area.

In a viral video pertaining to the incident, the members of the Hindu group can be seen asking the police personnel to take legal action against organising such religious events secretly and using the premises as Church. One of the members in the video can also be heard accusing a few women of holding wooden sticks in their hands.

“We are questioned by the police if we merely do a protest, but look here, they are running a huge Church without any permission. How can they organise a gathering of people on such a scale without taking prior approval from the administration,” said one of the members who can be heard talking aggressively in the video.

It’s been learned that a bishop of ERI discourse was also among the attendees, who was later confronted by the members for organising such an event secretly. Though, the Bishop on the other hand, has maintained that he had arrived at the said place on a dinner invitation and was trying to return when the members of the Hindu community confronted them, it’s been further reported that the initial verbal spat between the members of both the communities soon turned into a small altercation leading to minor injuries of a few people.

Meanwhile, thousands of members of the Christian community later gathered in the Durg Kotwali police station premises seeking immediate intervention and action in the case. A delegation of the community further also met with the Inspector General (IG), Durg and demanded action in the case. The delegation members also submitted a memorandum to the police.

“A delegation of the Christian community has submitted a memorandum and they have given an assurance following which they have returned, the police is investigating the matter and strict action will be taken against whoever found guilty of breaking the law”, informed a police official.

Meanwhile, denying the involvement of the workers of Bajrang Dal in the incident, one of the office-bearers of the youth wing informed me that the workers of Bajrang Dal were not involved in the case. “We are aware about the incident, but our workers are not involved in the said case, informed Saurav Dewangan, Jila Sanyojak of Bajrang Dal, Durg.

It is to be noted that cases pertaining to conversion have been keep coming to the fore on regular intervals in the tribal dominated State triggering reactions from the Hindu community. Lately, a number of such cases have also led to serious altercations between both the communities in separate places across the State.

Regular regular emergence of such cases has also inspired the local Hindu community to hit the streets, seeking a stringent anti-conversion law to deal with illegal conversion in recent times. The scale of such protests had also turned the issue into a politically charged up one before the State Assembly election that concluded last year where the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) had pleaded to enact a law to deal with the issue.

Notably, a number of ministers of the Vishnu Deo Sai led government, after assuming office, have been dropping hints about enacting or adding stringent provisions in already existing anti-conversion law in the State.