Activists from the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad entered a diocese-run school in Nalbari town of Assam on Wednesday, a day before Christmas, and damaged the Christmas decorations there, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Nalbari Senior Superintendent of Police Bibekananda Das informed IE that the same group also vandalised festive items that were on sale at a local shop in the town. They burned items that were being sold at the shop like Santa caps and masks.
The SSP said that a formal complaint has been filed by the management of St Mary’s English School in Panigaon regarding the incident.
What happened?
Father James Vadakeyil from the Bongaigaon Diocese, which the school comes under, said the campus was empty when the incident happened because it was shut for winter holidays.
He said the group arrived at around 3 pm and asked for the principal, but left after learning he was not present. They then moved around the campus and damaged the nativity crib and other Christmas decorations. A large banner put up for admissions was also torn down. The decorations were pulled apart and set on fire as the group shouted slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra”.
The police took four people in custody by Thursday evening. The charges include criminal intimidation, illegal entry, damaging property, causing mischief by setting items on fire.
Who are these activists?
The Nalbari district administration said those taken into custody are Bhaskar Deka, the district secretary of the VHP; Manash Jyoti Patgiri, its district vice-president; Biju Dutta, an assistant secretary; and Nayan Talukdar, the district convener of the Bajrang Dal.
Mob vandalism reported in Chhattisgarh mall
Similar incidents were reported from Delhi, Chhattisgarh, MP, and Rajasthan. The day when the vandalism was reported in Assam, a mob carrying sticks forced their way into Magneto Mall in Chhattisgarh and damaged the Christmas decorations and displays there as well.
The incident came during a day-long shutdown called by the Sarva Hindu Samaj to protest alleged religious conversions. A mall staff member told IE that a large crowd, around 80 to 90 people, rushed inside and began destroying property.
Police said a formal case has been registered, but no arrests have been made yet. Officers are continuing their investigation to identify those involved, the Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police said.
Ruckus over conversion claim in Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, Anju Bhargava, the BJP’s vice-president in Jabalpur district, has been accused of pushing and roughing up a visually impaired woman who had entered a church in the Katanga area on Saturday. Bhargava allegedly claimed that the children were being converted to Christianity.
Police have not filed a case in this matter so far. However, the BJP’s Jabalpur unit has sent Bhargava a notice asking her to explain her actions within seven days, party city president Rakesh Sonkar told IE.
The woman later said that taking part in Christmas celebrations did not mean that she had changed her religion.
Another incident was reported in Jabalpur on Sunday morning when a church prayer service in the Madhotal area was interrupted by members of a right-wing group.
Members of the Hindu Seva Parishad said they had received information about a large gathering at the church, including people from nearby districts. They claimed they were checking whether any religious conversions were taking place when clashes broke out.
However, people attending the prayer service said that around 15 to 20 men suddenly entered the church during prayers, raised slogans, and caused fear among those present.
Police said several young men were taken into custody for disturbing the peace. Officers are now speaking to people from both sides to piece together what exactly happened.
Rajasthan district’s education department bars schools from ‘forcing’ kids to dress up as Santa
In Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, the education department directed schools not to “force” students to dress up as Santa Claus for Christmas, reported IE.
An order issued on December 22 said the Bharat Tibet Sahayog Manch had written to the department, pointing out that schools in the district had been asking children to wear Santa costumes on Christmas for the past few years. The letter noted that Sri Ganganagar is largely home to Hindu and Sikh communities.
The order also mentioned that very few Christian families live in the area. In this context, it said, holding such programmes in schools and placing pressure on children is not appropriate. The department added that if any school is found forcing students to dress as Santa on Christmas, action will be taken according to the rules.
Women wearing Santa caps heckled in Delhi
Another video emerged on Monday from Delhi showing a group of women wearing Santa Claus caps being verbally harassed in Lajpat Nagar. The men in the video, who were allegedly linked to the Bajrang Dal, accused the women of trying to spread religion and asked them to leave the area, IE reported.
Police said no formal complaint was filed in the case. They described the incident as a brief verbal argument.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police for South East Delhi, the situation was settled at the spot by the people involved and did not turn violent. Initial checks suggested that it was a one-off personal dispute and not part of a larger issue.
