In this file photo, villagers of Sirisguda at the Special Gram Sabha to ban the entry of non-Hindu religious missionaries. Photo: The Hindu

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) has alleged that 12 people from the local Christian community, were attacked by members of the right wing Bajrang Dal in Bastar district’s Madota village on Saturday. District officials have registered an FIR.

“An announcement was made through drum beats that residents of Kotwar village should assemble at 9am on Saturday to meet the sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police and town inspector to discuss ways to douse tension between the two communities. They waited till evening, but nobody turned up. By evening, right-wing activists came in a truck and attacked Christians, accusing them of promoting religious conversion,” charged Arun Pannalal, president of CCF.

Quoting local Christians, Pannalal said, a week ago BJP MP Dinesh Kashyap had visited Bhanpuri village and me gram sabha t local Christians. The MP washed their feet and then made a public announcement that they had completed the process of “ghar wapsi” or home-coming to the Hindu fold. Since then tension has been brewing between Hindus and Christians over prayer meetings at the local church.

While CCF has accused the district authorities of being “hand in glove” with the “right-wing elements,” the Bastar district collector however, refuted the CCF’s allegations saying that there was a clash between two groups in the village and added that a FIR has been registered against the accused persons.

The present controversy is rooted in an attempt by Hindutva organisations to convert Christian tribals to the Hindu fold. A campaign launched in July this year by Vishwa Hindu Parishad had led to a ban on the entry of and alleged “propaganda” by non-Hindu missionaries, especially Christians, in more than 50 villages of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.

With input from Agencies