Agra: In yet another incident of religious intolerance, activists of right-wing Hindu organizations VHP, Bajrang Dal, ABVP and Hindu Yuva Vahini clashed with a group of Christians celebrating Easter in Mainpuri district on Sunday, following suspicion of religious conversions being held there. At least two dozen people, a majority of them Bajrang Dal workers, were injured in the violence.

The activists not only accused the Christians of forcing religious conversions but also questioned about the meat being cooked for the celebrations. The incident happened at village Nagla Ram Singh at about 10 am when a function was being held outside the residence of a local villager, who had earlier converted to Christianity.

According to Bajrang Dal convener Sushil Kumar Yadav, they had received information about religious conversion being “forced” under the garb of Easter celebrations. Talking to TOI, Yadav said, “I was informed that 40 Hindus from the backward classes, who had been fasting for the last 40 days, were being converted to Christianity at this event.”

He alleged a local convert, Sanjay Jatav, rechristened to Harbans Lal Padri, had organized the function at his residence. He accused Padri of “motivating” others to convert.

Yadav claimed that his associates and he were attacked with lathis and iron rods by the organizers when they made inquiries. However, he added, the activists ultimately “succeeded” in stopping the conversions, despite the fracas.

Though Yadav denied that they had made any inquiries about the meat that was being cooked there, eyewitnesses said trouble brewed up only when some right-wing activists aired suspicions that beef was being cooked for the event.

Contrary to Yadav’s claims, Mainpuri superintendent of police Himanshu Kumar denied that any religious conversions were being undertaken at the event, which he said was being organized to observe Easter and that VHP and other activists created trouble unnecessarily.

“The clash left 20 people injured with non-life threatening injuries. The majority of injured persons were VHP workers. Cases related to inciting communal violence will be registered against the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, ABVP convenor for Mainpuri district, Anupam Shakya, who also present there, alleged that the organizers had tried to “deceive” them regarding their actual intentions of converting Hindus by claiming that it was a religious event. “When I asked them what the function was for, they told us that they were celebrating Good Friday, which incidentally was two days ago,” Shakya said, accusing Jatav of organizing the function for religious conversions of Hindus.

Shakya said besides him and Sushil Kumar Yadav, convenor of Hindu Yuva Vahini Mohit Kushwa and advocates Santosh Verma, Tara Singh Verma and Rakesh Tiwari as well as 15 activists were injured in the incident. Some reporters who were covering the function and clash also sustained injuries.



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