Rajasthan: Protesters disrupt Christmas celebrations over alleged religious conversion

Protesters allegedly belonging to a Hindu right wing group disrupted Christmas celebrations in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh town on Tuesday evening.

Jaipur, Dec 21: After members of a Hindu right wing group issued diktats to schools in Uttar Pradesh not to celebrate Christmas, protesters allegedly belonging to another Hindu right wing group disrupted Christmas celebrations in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh town on Tuesday evening.

According to reports, members allegedly belonging to the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) which owes its allegiance to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and at the Centre, barged inside the room where the Christmas event was underway and asked the revellers to immediately put an end to it.

The members of the right wing group alleged that religious conversion was being done during the event, reported ANI. In fact, the police arrested two persons on charges of forceful conversion, added ANI.

Protests in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh during a #Christmas event, protesters alleged religious conversion was being done during the event. Two people arrested on charges of forceful conversion pic.twitter.com/AQjyKmjAQ1

— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2017

Karu Lal, a human rights activist who was one of the organisers of the programme, told Scroll.in that the protesters snatched their microphones, threw away their Christmas calendars and books on Gospels and also accused them of carrying out religious conversions on the pretext of Christmas celebrations.

Lal added the men were known to most of the organisers and had claimed to be members of the VHP. The organisers, however, in their complaint to the police referred to the "goons" as "anti-social elements".

According to reports, in UP, the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) sent letters to schools in Aligarh asking them not to celebrate Christmas. The group alleged that the festival would be a step towards "forced conversions" of Hindu students.

A few days ago, suspected Bajrang Dal activists were claimed to have beaten up some Christians, including 10 priests, and torched their car outside a police station in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh over alleged conversion of Hindus to Christianity.

OneIndia News