New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- A series of disruptions, protests and vandalism linked to Christmas celebrations were reported across several BJP-ruled states in the days leading up to and including Christmas Eve, highlighting a sharp contrast between official messages of religious harmony and incidents of intimidation and violence on the ground. The developments unfolded even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Capital, extending greetings to the Christian community and speaking about peace, compassion and hope.
In Assam, members of the Bajrang Dal allegedly stormed St Mary's English School at Panigaon in Nalbari town on Wednesday, December 24, destroying Christmas decorations on the school premises. The same group also damaged Christmas ornaments being sold at a shop in the town. Nalbari Senior Superintendent of Police Bibekananda Das said the school authorities have filed a complaint and police are examining the matter. The incident added to a growing list of Christmas-related disturbances reported from different parts of the country over the past week.
On the same day in Chhattisgarh, a mob armed with sticks entered Magneto Mall in Raipur and vandalised Christmas decorations and installations. The incident took place during a day-long Chhattisgarh bandh called by Hindu organisations, including the Sarva Hindu Samaj, to protest alleged religious conversions. According to mall staff, around 40 to 50 people ran through the mall carrying rods and hockey sticks, damaging property despite the mall being officially closed in support of the shutdown.
Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh said an FIR has been registered against 30 to 40 unidentified persons under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for offences including unlawful assembly, rioting, mischief and voluntarily causing hurt. "No arrest has been made so far. Our probe is on to identify the accused," Singh said earlier, adding later that some suspects had been identified and statements of eyewitnesses were being recorded. CCTV footage of the incident and videos circulating on social media showed agitators raising slogans and damaging Christmas decorations, including a Christmas tree inside and outside the mall.
Chhattisgarh police said the bandh had a mixed impact across the state, disrupting normal life in several cities while having only a partial effect in others. The shutdown followed a recent clash in Kanker district over the burial of a person from a Christian family.
In Madhya Pradesh, two separate incidents were reported from Jabalpur. On Saturday, BJP's Jabalpur district vice president Anju Bhargava allegedly manhandled a visually impaired woman who had entered a church premises in the Katanga area. Bhargava claimed children were being converted to Christianity. While police have not registered an FIR, the local BJP unit issued a show cause notice to Bhargava, asking her to explain her conduct within seven days. Mahanagar BJP president Rakesh Sonkar confirmed the notice.
The visually impaired woman said she had only gone to celebrate Christmas. "Just because I come to celebrate Christmas doesn't mean I have changed my religion," she said.
Another incident occurred on Sunday morning in the Madhotal area of Jabalpur, where a prayer service at a church was disrupted by members of a right-wing organisation. Members of the Hindu Seva Parishad claimed they had received information about an unusually large gathering, including people from other districts, and were questioning possible conversion activities when violence broke out. However, those attending the service alleged that 15 to 20 men forcibly entered the church during prayers, chanted "Jai Shri Ram" and created panic. Police said several youths were detained for creating a disturbance and that investigators were establishing the sequence of events based on statements from both sides.
In Rajasthan, authorities issued directives that drew attention during the festive period. In Sri Ganganagar district, the education department barred schools from forcing children to dress up as Santa Claus. A December 22 order cited a representation by the Bharat Tibet Sahayog Manch, stating that the district is predominantly Hindu and Sikh and that Christian families are almost nonexistent. The order warned that action would be taken if schools were found pressuring children to dress as Santa Claus.
Separately, in Nagaur district, the principal of a private school alleged that a group claiming to be Bajrang Dal members threatened students and staff over Christmas celebrations. School principal Shaitanram Changal said the group entered the school, protested the celebrations and assaulted him, creating panic among nearly 40 students present at the programme. Police said three persons were detained and questioned after officers reached the spot based on information from the school owner.
In the national capital, a video surfaced on Monday showing a group of women wearing Santa Claus caps being heckled in Lajpat Nagar, allegedly by Bajrang Dal members. The men were seen accusing the women of religious proselytisation and asking them to leave. Delhi Police said no formal complaint was received and described the episode as a brief verbal disagreement. "The matter was amicably resolved on the spot by the individuals involved, without any escalation," DCP (South East) Hemant Tiwari said, adding that preliminary checks suggested it was personal and isolated in nature. In another instance of protest in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Bajrang Dal members demonstrated outside St Alphonsus Cathedral Church, alleging that a Christmas programme held there portrayed Hindu religion and society in an objectionable manner. The protesters recited the Hanuman Chalisa, raised slogans and submitted a memorandum to City Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam seeking an impartial probe. Police said the protest lasted less than half an hour and that an investigation would be conducted based on facts, with officials stressing that law and order would not be allowed to be disturbed.with agency inputs
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.