NEW DELHI: Members of the right wing outfit Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad a staged protest outside a Bareilly church during Christmas eve, alleging that the Hindu religion had been portrayed in objectionable manner.A video of right wing group members reciting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in protest outside the church in the presence of police surfaced on social media. Protesters gathered near the main gate of the church on Wednesday in the Cantt police station area, raising slogans including “Jai Shri Ram” and “Har Har Mahadev.” They alleged that the Christmas celebrations had hurt Hindu sentiments and also raised objectionable slogans during the demonstration. Police arrived at the spot after being alerted about the protest.
The demonstration, which continued for under 30 minutes, ended after Bajrang Dal members submitted a memorandum to city circle officer (City) Ashutosh Shivam, calling for an impartial investigation and stringent action against those responsible for any wrongdoing.As stated in the memorandum, the Bajrang Dal claimed that a Christmas program held at the church on Tuesday featured audio-visual skits by various schools that allegedly portrayed issues related to religious conversion, Hindu temples and Hindu society in a misleading manner.“An investigation will be carried out and necessary action will be taken on the basis of facts,” PTI quoted city circle officer saying.Later, the right wing group members protested outside the Kotwali police station in Bareilly, demanding the suspension of the circle officer Shivam for allegedly failing to register an FIR against a pastor accused of making defamatory remarks against Hindu deities.
