INDORE: Alleging religious conversion by a retired government school teacher Novel I Well at his farmhouse, around 20 persons under the banner of Hindu Jagaran Manch gathered at the farmhouse in Jobat area of Alirajpur district on Sunday. The incident happened at around 10 am, when the retired school teacher was organising religious prayers inside the farmhouse.

After informing the Jobat police about religious conversion activities taking place at the farmhouse every Sunday under the garb of religious prayers, the saffron outfit activists started gathering outside the farmhouse.

Sensing trouble, the Jobat police rushed to the spot in strength and prevented the situation from snowballing. The religious prayer was stopped immediately by the police, after which the agitated saffron activists dispersed from the spot.

The saffron outfit activists alleged that religious conversion was taking place at the farmhouse in the name of treating illnesses through special prayers. They added that those behind the Sunday prayers were also luring poor tribal villagers with clothes and food grain to change their religion.

Later, in the evening the saffron outfit activists submitted a complaint against the retired school teacher and demanded his arrest for promoting religious conversion.

Confirming the receipt of complaint by Jobat police, the Alirajpur SP Akhilesh Jha told TOI that the complaint is being investigated in detail. “Though primary investigations have not revealed any religious conversion, the complaint now is being investigated in detail,” Jha added.

The development took place in Jobat-Alirajpur on a day, when the Christian community decided to hold three-day special prayers from March 4 at 100 places across the country for an end to “attacks” on churches and the “hate campaign” against the community. These prayers will be held in six cities of MP, including Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Bhopal, Gwalior and Damoh.

Also, a Christian body Rashtriya Isai Mahasabha (RIM) on Sunday handed over a memorandum to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Bhopal, demanding an end to the attack on Christians nationwide.

