Yielding to Bajrang Dal pressure, cops book six Christians for 'religious conversions'

Bhopal, Dec 15: In what appears to be a classic case of the police taking orders from the Bajrang Dal, six Christians have been booked for illegal religious conversion in Satna. 

The six Christians participating in a religious activity in Bhoomkhar village, about 15 km from Satna district headquarters, were booked on Thursday evening after Bajrang Dal activists created a ruckus at the civil lines police station and presented one man, identified as Dharmendra Dohar, as the one who had been converted to Christianity.

Dohar was even made to give a bite to the TC news crews in which he explained how he was made to take a dip in a pond before being told he had forsaken his parents and family and adopted a new faith.

All this, however, turned out to be a lie minutes after Bajrang Dal activists left the police station on Friday afternoon and Dohar was questioned by the media. 

Dohar in his interaction accepted that he in fact was a Bajrang Dal member for the past one year and had complained against the Christians under directions from his seniors.

On Whether he was converted to Christianity, Dohar said, "I will be trapped if I reveal the truth now. Because they will say that earlier you said something else and now you are saying this." 

Dohar was upset with the fact that his family members had to come to the police station and his partners in crime had left him alone.   

Bajrang Dal activists first created a ruckus at Bhoomkahar village about 15 km from Satna late on Thursday night alleging Christian missionaries were converting people at an event that had been going on in the village for the past several days. 

The Bajrang Dal activists also forcefully took 42 people to the Civil Lines police station demanding that a case be registered for religious conversion against them. 

A car was also allegedly set on fire by the agitating Bajrang Dal activists.

Police kept these 42 people in custody till Friday morning and registered a  case of religious conversion against six of them. 

None of these 42 people were allowed to speak while Dharmendra Dohar was allowed to speak to the media who alleged he was being coerced to change his religion.

Madhya Pradesh leader of opposition Ajay Singh too raised questions over functioning of the police. 

"It is Christmas time  and the Christians were taking out a procession and singing carols. The Bajrang Dal made it an issue of conversion and we have sent a delegation to the administration asking them if they want the Bajrang Dal to run the district," he said.