By News Desk
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anshu Tuteja escalated tensions by launching a targeted campaign against a local church in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, accusing the religious structure of being illegally constructed on an encroached land.
Tuteja raided the church on December 29 alleging that it was illegally constructed on the encroached land and engaged in religious conversions. However, the incident came to light days after on January 3 after a video of the confrontation surfaced on social media.
In the viral video, Tuteja is seen issuing an ultimatum to the church management and local authorities, demanding the removal of the religious structure within three days. He further warned that if no action was taken within the given timeframe, he would personally come with his team and demolish the church.
The local Christian community of Raigarh has expressed concern over the threats with church representatives denying no illegal activities was done inside the church and that it serves as a place of worship for locals.
On multiple occasions, Tuteja has been reported leading mob protests outside Christian properties. On December 8, he raided a prayer meeting at a Christian household in Raigarh, harassing the attendees and making accusations of mass religious conversion.
This story was originally published in siasat.com. Read the full story here.