Workers of Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) clashed with a group of converted Christians in Auchha area of Mainpuri district on Sunday over allegedly holding a function to convert 40 Dalits to Christianity. The clash took place when members of the Hindu outfits went to the house of a Dalit, to protest against the alleged conversion. Mainpuri’s Bajrang Dal district convenor Sushil Yadav and HJM district vice-president Rajesh Tiwari, general secretary Arun Mishra and worker Santosh Kumar sustained serious injuries in the clash.
The police have lodged cross FIRs on the complaints of Raj Kumari Jatav, a Dalit, and Santosh Kumar at Auchha police station. No arrest has been made so far.
“Preliminary investigation has found that a group of people – who originally belonged to the SC category but had converted to Christianity years ago – were celebrating Easter at Nagla Ram Singh village on Sunday.
A function was organised by one Sanjay Jatav, who had converted to Christianity and lives in Ludhiana. The function was organised at the house of his aunt Ram Lali, a Dalit,” Auchha Station House Officer Umesh Nath Mishra said.
“Over 20 people belonging to the SC community had come from adjoining districts like Etah and Firozabad to attend the function, which was organised with the help of Raj Kumari Jatav,” he added. HJM worker Santosh Kumar has told police that Bajrang Dal’s Sushil Yadav had received information on Sunday morning that a few persons were forcibly converting Dalits to Christianity, The Indian Express reported.
Around a dozen Bajrang Dal and HJM workers reached Nagla Ram Singh to verify the news, he said, adding that after meeting village pradhan Shailendra Yadav, they reached Ram Lali’s house. “We asked the owner of the house to come outside… Ajay (Raj Kumari Jatav’s husband) came outside with several youths. We asked them if a function was being held to convert people… The youths entered into a heated argument and asked us to leave. As we told them not to threaten us, they attacked us with sticks and started pelting stones. They were joined by more people who hit us with sticks, rods and stones,” claimed Santosh.
“Hearing about the clash, a police team rushed to the spot. But those celebrating Easter escaped soon after the team arrived,” said the SHO. Following this, Santosh Kumar got an FIR lodged alleging that when they tried to stop forced conversion, Sanjay Jatav, along with his 20 aides, attacked them. The other FIR was lodged on Raj Kumari Jatav’s complaint against Sushil Yadav, Arun Mishra, Rajesh Tiwari, Shyama Charan and five others under sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious feelings), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt) of the IPC and the SC/ST Act.