Hindutva group disturbs Christian event in MP, two arrested for alleged conversion
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Two individuals, Mehram Malloi and Satyam Nagar, were arrested on Wednesday over the allegation of forced religious conversion during a Christian event in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district.
The event, organized by Malloi, an Adivasi who had converted to Christianity 15 years ago, faced disruption by members of a Hindutva group in the Un village.
Videos circulating on social media depicted the disturbance caused by the Hindutva group, which later led to a protest staged by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, a collective of various Hindutva outfits.
The two organizers of the event have been booked under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, which imposes stricter punishments and grounds for restricting conversions.
Madhya Pradesh is one of the nine states, governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, that have implemented or updated anti-conversion laws since 2017. These laws aim to curb religious conversions and have been a source of controversy.
This incident adds to a series of alleged attacks on Christians by Hindutva groups in recent years. In various instances, churches and Christian prayer halls have been targeted, with accusations of forced conversions.
The assailants, often associated with well-known communal organizations, reportedly disrupt prayer meetings, assault congregations, and register FIRs against the Christian community.
In Maharashtra's Pune district, a school principal was assaulted on July 4 by members of a Hindutva outfit, alleging that students had been asked to sing a Christian prayer. Similarly, in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on April 30, a Hindutva group disrupted a Christian prayer service and vandalized the venue, claiming religious conversion.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing pleas filed by Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado, the National Solidarity Forum, and the Evangelical Fellowship of India, highlighting an alleged increase in attacks on Christians across India.
The petitioners argue that a pattern has emerged in these incidents, with assailants often accompanied by local police, providing them with the confidence to resort to violence.
