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The Hindu
24-07-2025
- The Hindu
NGO members assaulted in Indore over suspicion of religious conversion
Members of an NGO were thrashed by right-wing activists in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Thursday (July 24, 2025) over allegations of religious conversion. The alleged incident took place outside the Indore Press Club where about eight members of an NGO, Howl Group, had come to hold a press conference. While the local police intervened to stop the assault, Indore Additional DCP, Zone 3, Ramsanehi Mishra, told The Hindu that no formal complaint was received at the local police station. According to the NGO, it has been working in various sectors such as education and health in Shukrawasa village in neighbouring Dewas district. In a statement, Howl Group said that a 'misinformation campaign' had been going on against it for a few months in Dewas after which the NGO had called a press conference to respond to the allegations. Local reports from Indore, however, said a group of right-wing activists assaulted NGO founder Sourav Banerjee and other members, including women, alleging that they had been running a 'conversion racket' in the village to convert locals into Christianity. After this, as the NGO members prepared to go to a police station, they were attacked again, with the right-wing activists also blackening the faces of some members. A purported video of the incident also surfaced on the Internet. All false, says founder After the alleged assault, Mr. Banerjee told reporters that the allegations were false. 'We have been working in Shukrawasa, and the suspicion around (religious) conversion is completely baseless. Let them bring even a single person whom our NGO has converted,' he said, while accusing the right-wing members of attacking his team without any evidence. Dewas Additional SP (Rural) Harnarayn Batham said parents of some of the students working with the NGO had alleged that their children have been 'brainwashed' by the group members. 'The police are investigating the matter. We will take appropriate action after examining all facts of the matter,' he said.
News18
24-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Right-wing activists thrash NGO members over suspicion of religious conversion
Agency: Indore, Jul 24 (PTI) Right-wing activists on Thursday allegedly bashed up members of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Indore over suspicion of religious conversions, showed a video that surfaced in the public domain. The NGO has denied the charge, stressing that it works across various sectors for rural uplift. No police complaint concerning the alleged assault has been received yet, an official said. The alleged incident took place outside the Indore Press Club premises, where Howl Group founder Sourav Banerjee and other members of the NGO had arrived to address a press conference on the allegations. Two women associated with the NGO were also present. A group of individuals disrupted the press conference, creating a commotion. When he and others stepped out of the venue, they were assaulted by right-wing workers, who accused the NGO of indulging in religious conversion, showed a video. 'We have been working in Shukrawasa village of Dewas district for the past five years in areas such as education, healthcare, employment and legal aid. The suspicion around (religious) conversion is completely baseless," Banerjee told reporters. Banerjee said the right-wing activists assaulted the NGO members without any evidence. 'Let them bring even a single person whom our NGO has converted," he challenged. He alleged that some 'corrupt and anti-social elements" in Shukrawasa were spreading rumours against the organisation and obstructing their work for personal gain. Meanwhile, local Bajrang Dal leader Avinash Kaushal, who was present at the site, alleged that the NGO was converting innocent Hindu villagers to Christians and had 'brainwashed" some youths into distancing themselves from their families. Ravindra Parashar, in charge of the Central Kotwali police station, said no formal complaint has been received from any party regarding the incident outside the Press Club premises. PTI HWP LAL NR view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 19:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
