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ISLAMABAD: A violent attack on a Christian pastor in Odisha&rsquo;s Dhenkanal district has drawn nationwide outrage, with the opposition Indian National Congress (INC) calling it a &ldquo;new low&rdquo; that has shamed the nation&rsquo;s conscience. The INC in a post on Facebook on Wednesday condemned India&rsquo;s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government for what it called &lsquo;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-witnessed-over-1300-events-of-hate-speech-in-2025-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">jungle raj</a>&rsquo; or rule of the jungle in the country.&nbsp; On Jan. 4, Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik, along with his family and a few others, was attending a prayer meeting at a house in Parjang village, a predominantly Hindu area with only seven Christian families.&nbsp; According to Indian media reports, a mob of around 40 people from the Bajrang Dal forcibly entered the house, alleging that Naik was conducting forced religious conversions.Naik and those present were brutally beaten.&nbsp; The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-sees-surge-in-attacks-on-christians-muslims-under-modi-wsj" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">pastor</a>was tied to a Hanuman temple, red Sindoor was smeared across his face, and a garland of slippers was placed around his neck.&nbsp;&nbsp;Forced to eat cow dung&nbsp;He was then coerced into eating cow dung while being slapped repeatedly and forced to chant &ldquo;Jai Shri Ram.&rdquo;&nbsp; Vandana Naik, the pastor&rsquo;s wife, recounted that despite repeated pleas, the police did not intervene promptly.&nbsp; He was later taken to the local police station but left without immediate medical assistance.&nbsp;&lsquo;Blot on humanity&rsquo;The INC condemned the attack, stating that it represents a &ldquo;blot on humanity and civilized society&rdquo; and reflects the rising trend of crimes against minorities since 2014. &ldquo;Mobs have been emboldened, violence normalized, and minorities persecuted under the current government&rsquo;s divisive politics,&rdquo; the party said in the Facebook post. A social activist stated that Pastor Naik was made to sit at the police station for nearly an hour without medical care, highlighting the failure of authorities to protect victims promptly, Indian media reported.&nbsp; While a police complaint has been registered, a counter FIR accusing Naik of forced conversion was also filed, intensifying tensions in the village. The incident has ignited calls for strict action against those responsible, with political leaders stressing that the pastor and his family deserve justice under the Constitution of India. Congress emphasized that it will continue to fight for minority rights, asserting that such acts of mob violence mark &ldquo;the true face of the BJP&rdquo; and a new low in the country&rsquo;s governance.&nbsp;

India

The pastor was reportedly coerced into eating cow dung while being slapped repeatedly and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’; Congress has asserted such acts of mob violence mark ‘the true face of the BJP’.

Opposition slams India’s ruling BJP after attack on Christian pastor 

ISLAMABAD: Six members of the Bajrang Dal who were arrested for allegedly vandalizing Christmas decorations at Raipur&rsquo;s Magneto Mall were released on bail this week, a development that sparked controversy after public celebrations and provocative slogans marked their release, Indian media reported. Bajrang Dal is a right-wing Hindu nationalist youth organization affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, known for activism around Hindutva issues in India. The incident dates back to Dec. 24, when a group of men allegedly barged into the mall armed with sticks and damaged Christmas-themed decorations a day ahead of the festival. Vandalism&nbsp;Videos of the vandalism circulated widely on social media, showing festive installations being destroyed in the presence of shoppers and staff.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004056933062549907&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=3e0b7d10fff2d541d135e8c2f166b52a2a9a97f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Police later arrested six Bajrang Dal workers on Dec. 27 in connection with the incident. A magistrate&#39;s court in Raipur initially denied bail to the accused. However, a sessions court subsequently granted them bail, following which the six walked out of jail on Thursday. Their release was followed by a procession organized by supporters, who welcomed them with garlands, drums, and celebratory music. &lsquo;Isai missionary murdabad&rsquo;Videos shared online showed the men being carried on shoulders while slogans such as &ldquo;Isai missionary murdabad&rdquo; (Death to Christian Missionaries) and &ldquo;Jai Shri Ram&rdquo; (Victory to Lord Ram) were raised.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1074px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007311600441835520&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=3e0b7d10fff2d541d135e8c2f166b52a2a9a97f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Bajrang Dal state coordinator Rishi Mishra defended the celebration, stating that there was nothing inappropriate about organizing a procession for those released on bail, Indian media reported. He claimed the incident was linked to protests against alleged religious conversions in Chhattisgarh and said slogans reflected that sentiment. The vandalism occurred on the day a Hindutva group had called for a state-wide &quot;bandh&quot; (shutdown) to protest alleged illegal religious conversions. The bandh followed communal tensions in Bade Teoda village of Kanker district, where clashes broke out on Dec. 16 and 17 over the burial of a Christian individual. Public show of intimidation&nbsp;Fresh violence was reported from the same village on Dec. 18 after a mob breached police barricades. A case against the six accused has been registered at the Telibandha Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including trespassing, causing damage to property, rioting, unlawful assembly, and causing hurt. Civil society groups and minority organizations have criticized the celebratory welcome, arguing that it turns a routine legal process into a public show of intimidation. Police officials said investigations into the Magneto Mall vandalism are ongoing and that legal proceedings will continue.

Six Bajrang Dal members accused of vandalizing Christmas decorations at Raipur’s Magneto Mall were released on bail and publicly welcomed by supporters with garlands, drums, and slogans, drawing criticism and highlighting continuing communal tensions in India.

In India, right-wing Hindu militants celebrated after bail in Christmas vandalism case

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s opposition party Congress has strongly criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party following the arrest of a Christian priest and 11 others during a Christmas prayer meeting in Nagpur, Maharashtra, alleging that the incident reflected a &ldquo;hate-filled agenda of religious bigotry.&rdquo; According to party leaders, Maharashtra police arrested 12 people, including Father Sudhir, a Malayali priest of the Church of South India (CSI) South Kerala Diocese, Nagpur Mission, and his wife Jasmine, after a complaint was allegedly filed by activists of the right-wing Bajrang Dal, Indian media reported on Wednesday. Bajrang Dal is a right‑wing activist group in India often described as a hardline outfit affiliated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad that mobilizes youth around Hindu nationalist causes and has frequently featured in media reports on communal tensions and protests. The arrests reportedly took place around 8 p.m. on Wednesday while a Christmas prayer meeting was underway in Nagpur. Congress leaders further claimed that some individuals who later went to the police station to enquire about the arrests were also taken into custody, and cases were registered against them. &lsquo;Unlivable for all minorities&rsquo;Congress MP and general secretary K.C. Venugopal described the incident as &ldquo;highly condemnable&rdquo; in a post on X, alleging that the BJP was &ldquo;using the state machinery to harass Christians under the bogus pretense of religious conversions.&rdquo; He said that growing polarization had made life &ldquo;unlivable for all minorities&rdquo; in BJP-ruled states and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against the priest.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006346591884497255&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=540f4e4c6e04dafb7862c8f834f012a856302552&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Venugopal also called for strict action against those he described as &ldquo;Bajrang Dal goons,&rdquo; alleging their actions led to what he termed a &ldquo;frivolous case.&rdquo; &ldquo;Those who take law into their own hands and destroy the secular fabric envisioned in our Constitution must be the ones receiving punishment, not innocent citizens,&rdquo; Venugopal said.&nbsp;Call for urgent intervention&nbsp;Kerala Assembly Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan also condemned the arrests and sought urgent intervention from the center and the Maharashtra government. Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on X, he demanded the immediate release of all those arrested.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006290744508834178&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=540f4e4c6e04dafb7862c8f834f012a856302552&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>In a letter, Satheesan stated that Father Sudhir is a native of Amaravila in Thiruvananthapuram district and has been serving in Maharashtra for the past five years, while the remaining 10 arrested individuals are residents of Maharashtra. He said all those detained were being held at the Benoda Police Station and were likely to be produced before a court shortly, noting that attempts by CSI representatives to secure bail at the police station were unsuccessful. Describing the episode as alarming, Satheesan said the arrests raised serious concerns about violations of constitutional rights, particularly the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate religion.

Opposition leaders condemn the arrest of Father Sudhir and 11 others during a Christmas prayer in Nagpur, accusing the BJP and Bajrang Dal of harassment and demanding the immediate release of those arrested.

Articles tagged with "Bajrang Dal"

Opposition slams India’s ruling BJP after attack on Christian pastor

In India, right-wing Hindu militants celebrated after bail in Christmas vandalism case

Congress condemns India’s ruling BJP over Nagpur Christian priest’s arrest