RAIPUR: Days after a major controversy erupted over inauguration of a Church-styled prayer hall in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur, the ‘Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti’ and ‘Sarv Hindu Samaj’ of Bilaspur has submitted a letter to the district administration, seeking filing of an FIR against Indian National Congress (INC) MLA Atal Srivastava’s remarks.
In the letter submitted to the district administration, the Sant Samiti (Committee) has come down heavily upon the INC’s MLA for his remarks against Hindus. Further the Samiti has also alleged Srivastava for promoting conversion related activities.
“Conversion related activities are being promoted by MLA Srivastava in religious town of Ratanpur along disrupting peace and promoting religious fanaticism in Kota assembly constituency”, read the letter submitted by the Sant Samiti.
MLA Srivastava has been terming Hindus as ‘Bhagwadhari Gundey’ (Saffron-clad miscreants) which has not only insulted and hurt religious sentiments of Hindus but also has contributed to a communally charged up situation in the constituency, added the letter.
The committee in the letter has further alleged Srivastava for adding terrorism with Bhagwa before the police, along threatening the Hindu community. The letter submitted to the administration seeks strict punitive action against the Congress leader by filing of an FIR against him.
Row Over Inauguration of “Adivasi Samudaye Prarthana Sabha Ghar”
Notably a major row erupted over inauguration of a ‘Adivasi Prarthna Sabha Ghar’ (tribal prayer hall) in Banglabhata village of Pudu panchayat in Ratanpur, a small town famous for Maa Mahamaya temple after Hindu activists of the area resorted to sloganeering along reciting Hanuman Chalisa on the spot, opposing the inauguration of the said Prarthana Ghar.
The inauguration ceremony of the said hall was schedule for November 5, where prominent members of the ‘Bishop Diocese of Chhattisgarh’ including Bishop Sushma Kumar was invited along with the local Congress MLA, Atal Srivastava.
Though when the news of the inauguration program reached the local Hindu activists of the area, they staged a protest against the opening of the hall, alleging it to be an illegal Church. The protest of the activists ultimately led to the cancellation of the inauguration ceremony by the organisers.
Controversy surrounding the incident has escalated further after a video of the local MLA Srivastava terming those protesting against the inauguration as goons gone viral. In the viral video, the Congress leader can be heard referring the protestors as Bhagwadhari miscreants.
If Dharm-Guru Bageshwar Dham could arrive at CM (Chief Minister) house, why can’t a pastor come in an inauguration ceremony? Everyone has freedom of religion, prayers, constitution has provided rights to everyone, if anyone do hooliganism by adorning Bhagwa that wouldn’t be tolerated, Bhagwa hoolganism and Bhagwa terror wouldn’t be tolerated anymore, said INC’s MLA in the viral video.
He further while seeking filing of an FIR against those obstructed the inauguration program by arriving at the spot alleged, that those protesting at the spot were outsiders. He also claimed that the structure was erected from fund raising by the locals.
Though contrary to the claims made, a letter showing release of funds worth Rs 3 lakh for the said building has also gone viral on the internet.
Srivastava’s remarks sparked a major row, prompting sharp reactions from Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prabal Pratap Judev, the BJP candidate from the constituency in the state assembly polls held last year who has alleged the INC MLA for promoting conversion related activities.
By justifying the illegal Church built on a leased land (Van Patta), Kota MLA is preparing the ground for conversion of Hindus and is calling saffron-clad people goons and terrorists. The game of conversion is not tolerated, if not improved saffron-clad people will not only enter villages but homes as well. They are Sanatan soldiers not goons or terrorists, said Judev in a post on social media platform X.
पट्टे की जमीन पर बने अवैध चर्च को सही ठहराकर हिन्दुओं का धर्मांतरण की पृष्ठभूमि तैयार कर रहे हैं कोटा विधायक और भगवाधारी को गुंडा और आतंकवादी कह रहे हैं।
धर्मांतरण का खेल बर्दाश्त नहीं। गांव क्या अगर नहीं सुधरे तो घर में भी घुसेंगे भगवाधारी।
ये सनातन सैनिक हैं गुंडा या… pic.twitter.com/wT9oPve9m8— Prabal Pratap Singh Judev (@prabaljudevBJP) November 6, 2024
Speaking with the Organiser, Judev further emphasized that “those who are involved in promotion of such activities are doing it to remain in power, they have only one goal to be in power and they could even ruin the country for it, strict action should be taken against such people.”
When asked that why such incidents are keep coming to the fore despite of a BJP government in power who has promised to deal with the menace of illegal conversion related activities firmly during the assembly poll campaign, Judev replied that he will soon meet the Chief Minister and discuss the issue. “I will soon meet the Chief Minister, he is aware of the incident, strict action will be taken. I hope we (state government) will soon enact a strict anti-conversion law as well.”
Meanwhile the administration has also launched an inquiry into the matter by forming a team. Initial investigation into the matter suggests that the land on which the said prayer hall was erected was provided by the government (forest department) for agriculture or residential purpose however, it was misused for erecting a religious prayer hall/Church. The local administration may cancel the allotment of the said land.
News pertaining to promotion of conversion under guise of various inducement schemes and fallacy have been keep coming to the fore from separate states. Majority of the victims who fall prey to these schemes often hails from marginalised sections of the society such as from the Dalit and the tribal community.
Misinformation/fallacy is being spread at many of the places during prayer meetings (commonly known as Changai Sabha) organized mostly on weekly basis with an aim to lure gullible people into changing their religion as alleged by many of the local Hindu activists of separate regions. Many of the times the speakers associated with the conversion apparatus cite terms like ‘Sanatan Parmeshwar’ along citing similarities between local Hindu deities with Jesusu Christ to misled people into conversion, particularly in areas with significant population of the Dalit and the tribal community.
