New Delhi: Several Christians in Chattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s Kunkuri constituency have alleged that members of a Hindutva group beat them up with sticks and harassed women members of the community on January 21.
Based on a first information report lodged by one Shiv Prasad Mehto, the local pastor, Mahananda, and a few others had gone to Shiv’s house in Basudopur village under the jurisdiction of the Duldula Police Station for lunch on the day. On the way back, they were attacked by members of a Hindutva group.
The Christian group was also purportedly questioned and asked not to visit the village again.
Kishore, who was part of the Christian group told The Wire, “As we left Shiv’s house, they stopped us with sticks in hand. They were the same people who had been participating in Ram temple rallies regularly,” said Kishore.
In various parts of north India, rallies have been taken out to celebrate the Ram temple which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day ago.
Kishore further added, “They beat us and then dragged the women who tried to stop them onto the road.”
Pastor Mahananda fell unconscious, and his family took him to a local Samudayik Swasthya Kendra, from where he was referred to Holy Cross Hospital in Kunkuri.
Meanwhile, one Naresh Kumar Yadav and several others who were named as accused in Shiv’s FIR, have also filed an FIR against Shiv and others, claiming that they were just on their way with items of puja. The FIR also states that they questioned the pastor and others about their identity and why they had come to the village and in return, were pelted with stones.
A United Christian Forum report has it that violence against Christians occurred in 23 states in 2023. Uttar Pradesh leads with 155 incidents, followed by Chhattisgarh with 84 incidents. Christian community members told The Wire that last week alone five pastors had been beaten up by a Hindutva group in the Jashpur area.
The Chhattisgarh Christian Forum has also said that on January 21, in the Kundra village, people entered the local pastor’s house, verbally abused him, and planted saffron flags at his house. They allegedly threatened him with dire consequences if he did not convert to Hinduism.
