Members of far-right Hindu group attack Easter service in India with sticks
An Easter prayer service in the Indian city of Ahmedabad was disrupted on Sunday by members of two far-right Hindu groups who accused attendees of engaging in religious conversions.
Eyewitness footage shared on social media showed activists from the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) entering a private prayer meeting in the Odhav area of the city, wielding sticks and shouting slogans such as 'Jai Shree Ram' (Glory to Lord Ram) and 'Har Har Mahadev' (Hail Lord Shiva).
The groups are known for their links to Hindutva, a hardline nationalist ideology that promotes Hindu supremacy. They are also loosely affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of prime minister Narendra Modi 's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and have long campaigned against Christian and Muslim religious conversions.
While there were no reports of injuries, the incident has added to growing concerns over the increasing frequency of religiously motivated intimidation and violence in India.
Inspector Pratik Zinzuvadia of the Odhav police confirmed that the incident occurred during a Christian congregation at a residential hall in Vimalpark Society, attended by around 100 people marking Easter Sunday.
According to police, the intruders confronted attendees – many of whom were women – and demanded to know their religion, accusing organisers of conducting illegal conversions of Hindus to Christianity.
The situation was brought under control after police were called to the scene. Both parties were taken to the local police station, where they submitted written complaints. Darshan Joshi, a local representative of Bajrang Dal, filed a statement requesting an investigation into 'religious conversion', reported the Indian Express.
However, Inspector Zinzuvadia confirmed that officers found no indication of conversion activity during their preliminary assessment.
Emanuel Amaydas, a member of the Christian community present at the gathering, filed a counter-complaint accusing 10 to 15 unidentified individuals of storming the venue and causing disruption.
Police said they were examining the complaints and that no formal charges had been filed as of Sunday evening. "We have taken complaints from both sides and begun an inquiry into the case," Inspector Zinzuvadia said.
Jvalit Mehta, a regional coordinator of Bajrang Dal, later told the Times of India the activists had entered Christian gatherings in both Odhav and Nikol neighbourhoods based on what he described as 'information that conversion activities were going on'.
Under Indian law, forced religious conversion is illegal in several states, though laws are often vaguely defined and critics say they are frequently misused to target minority communities.
In 2024, attacks on Christians rose to 834 incidents, up from 734 the previous year, according to data from the United Christian Forum.
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