Tensions over ‘religious conversion’ have escalated in the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh with fresh violence in the last two days.
On Monday, 2 January 2023, a protest organised by a group of tribals, led by right wing leaders, in Narayanpur district over alleged ‘forced conversion‘ of members of tribal community into Christianity turned violent, leaving a church vandalised.
A video of the church, which was built on the premises of Vishwa Dipti High School in Narayanpur, located merely a kilometre away from the district headquarters, showed broken chairs and papers scattered around.
Another video captured a man vandalising a statue of Virgin Mary installed on the premises of the church. Another statue of Jesus Christ was damaged in the incident, too.
On Tuesday, an FIR was lodged against over 40 people, and nine others, including BJP’s Narayanpur district president Roop Sai Salam, were arrested, police sources told The Quint.
The mob allegedly attacked the members of the police force who tried to intervene, leaving Narayanpur’s Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar with a serious head injury. Kumar was rushed to the district hospital for treatment.
This story was originally published in thequint.com. Read the full story here