A complaint has been lodged at Bengaluru’s Koramangala police station after a video surfaced online showing a man forcefully disrupting what appeared to be a Christian prayer gathering, leading to widespread outrage and renewed calls for police action.
The video shows the man, identified as Satyanishta Arya, accompanied by a few others, confronting a Christian priest and members of the congregation.
Wearing a tilak, he is seen repeatedly interrupting the prayer programme and questioning the priest about Christian scriptures. When the priest mentions the Bible and the Gospel of John, the man responds with mocking remarks and derisive comments about Christian beliefs, Maktoob Media reported.
In the footage, he is heard questioning the origins of the Bible while asserting the superiority of Hindu religious texts, including the Vedas, Manusmriti and the Upanishads. He also declares that he would never accept Christian scriptures and raises religious slogans, while asserting that Lord Rama, not Jesus Christ, represents his faith.
The video further captures him making provocative references to the Babri Masjid, suggesting coercive religious change, and using abusive language against Muslim cleric Maulana Mehmood Madani. He also ridicules the Christian belief in the virgin birth of Jesus by repeatedly questioning the priest about Mary’s pregnancy and mocking the explanation involving the Holy Spirit.
At several points, he appears to intimidate those present, including silencing participants and verbally abusing a woman who questions his conduct.
Following the circulation of the video, Bengaluru City Police stated that the individual involved is not from Karnataka. Sarah Fathima, Deputy Commissioner of Police for the South-East Division, said that neither the man nor his handler falls under the Koramangala jurisdiction. She added that a non-cognisable report (NCR) has been registered at the Koramangala police station for further proceedings.
The incident has drawn strong criticism on social media, with many users describing the remarks as hate speech and urging authorities to take stricter action.
Journalist Tamal Saha criticised what he described as inconsistent enforcement by authorities, questioning why stringent measures allegedly taken against “illegal Bangladeshis” in West Bengal were not reflected in this case.
Saha also alleged that the man seen in the video was originally Sunnyur Rahman from Bangladesh, now using a Hindu name and religious symbols such as a tilak, saffron clothing and slogans to legitimise the spread of hate. He argued that the individual was not only targeting Christians but also harming the country, and faulted the police for what he described as inaction despite offensive remarks.
Bangladeshi journalist Sami similarly claimed that the man harassing Christians and mocking Jesus Christ was Sunnyur Rahman, who had earlier identified as a Muslim and later as an atheist before adopting the name Satyanisth Arya.
According to Sami, the individual frequently posts inflammatory content targeting Christianity and Islam and allegedly seeks donations through digital payment platforms such as Paytm and GPay.