NEW DELHI: Members of right-wing group Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Paris protested outside a church in Bareilly on Christmas Eve, alleging that the Hindu religion had been portrayed in an offensive manner.A video surfaced on social media showing members of a right-wing group reciting “Hanuman Chalisa” in protest outside the church in the presence of police. Protesters gathered near the main gate of the church in Cantt police station area on Wednesday and shouted slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Har Har Mahadev”. They alleged that the Christmas celebrations hurt the sentiments of Hindus and also raised offensive slogans during the demonstration. Police arrived at the scene after being informed about the protest.
The demonstration, which lasted less than 30 minutes, ended after Bajrang Dal members submitted a memorandum to city district officer Ashutosh Shivam demanding an impartial investigation and strict action against those responsible for any wrongdoing.As per the memorandum, the Bajrang Dal alleged that in a Christmas program held at the church on Tuesday, audio-visual skits from various schools were shown which allegedly portrayed issues related to religious conversion, Hindu temples and Hindu society in a misleading manner.“An investigation will be conducted and necessary action will be taken based on the facts,” PTI quoted a city district official as saying.Later, the members of the right-wing group protested outside the Kotwali police station in Bareilly, demanding the suspension of circle official Shivam for allegedly failing to register an FIR against a pastor who was accused of making defamatory remarks against Hindu deities.
