NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Some Bajrang Dal volunteers have allegedly entered a prayer hall of the Christians by force and stopped a service mid-way in Hassan district in Karnataka.
A video surfacing on the social media on Monday showed members of the Bajrang Dal barging into a prayer hall and stopping the service. The video also shows Bajrang Dal members forcing people out of the prayer hall and a few women from the Christian community engaged in a verbal duel with the members of Bajrang Dal.
The incident allegedly occurred in Belur on Sunday amidst the move by the BJP government in Karnataka to introduce an anti-conversion law in the state and the Christian community writing to the Chief Minister against it.
Belur police officials confirmed the incident but said no complaint had been filed by either side.
“The incident happened on Sunday. We reached the spot and warned both sides,” said police inspector K M Yogesh. The Karnataka government is likely to introduce the Anti-Conversion Bill in the next legislature session beginning on December 13.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Archbishop Reverend Peter has written to the chief minister Basavraj Bommai opposing the proposed move. So far, three times such a memorandum has been submitted to the Chief Minister since September this year, saying the Christian community in the state opposes the proposed law to ban forcible religious conversions in one voice.
In October this year, members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad sang bhajans inside a makeshift church in Hubballi in Karnataka. A video of the purported incident circulated on social media showed members of Right-wing groups chanting bhajans with folded hands inside the church in Hubballi.
(Manas Dasgupta)
