Bajrang Dal storms Rajasthan Christian institution claiming conversion

Jaipur: In a fresh incident of religious intolerance, the Hindutva extremist group Bajrang Dal stormed a Christian institute in Rajasthan’s Jaipur on the last Saturday, claiming illegal religious conversions, India Tomorrow reported.

The incident happened following the Rajasthan assembly's passing of the controversial Anti-Conversion Bill in the state.

The Jaipur incident involves the Hindustan Bible Institute (HBI) in Jaipur’s Pratap Nagar and some 50 Bajrang Dal workers. According to eyewitnesses and civil society representatives, the Hindutva mob created a hostile situation, accusing the institution’s guests of conversion-related activities and engaging in acts of intimidation and hooliganism.

The guests were two members of HBI who were visiting the institution for inspection. After the mob stormed the establishment, police from Pratap Nagar Thana detained the two visiting HBI officials for questioning and seized their mobile phones. Police also confiscated gadgets, including a laptop, a pendrive, the institute’s telephone and documents, including property papers.

Civil society groups accused the police of complicity with Bajrang Dal and overreach. They said that the detention of the two HBI guests was completely unwarranted. They also highlighted that the incident was the second such attack in the Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s constituency in a week.

Earlier, a pastor was assaulted in Pratap Nagar while he was conducting a prayer service in a private home. Though an FIR was registered on the incident, after stringent protests, no arrests have been made so far.

Human rights activist Kavita Srivastava said that the HBI members who came there were simply carrying out religious education. She pointed out that the said act is completely protected under the Indian Constitution.