India News | Religious Conversion: Chhattisgarh BJP Seeks Release of Men Held for Assault on Pastor, Gives Memorandum to Guv

Raipur, Sep 11 (PTI) A BJP delegation on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey alleging that religious conversions in the state had increased after the Congress government under Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel came to power in late 2018.

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Demanding a curb on such activities, the 15-member delegation under state BJP chief Vishnu Deo Sai also sought the release of the people arrested for allegedly assaulting and abusing a pastor and two others in a police station here some days ago.

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Former chief minister and BJP national vice president Raman Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Dharamlal Kaushik and MLA Brijmohan Agrawal were part of the delegation.

The party, in its memorandum, said conversion activities were now being reported from the capital right down to remote areas, and the Baghel government, instead of taking action, was protecting elements involved in them.

The sad part is that the people who raise their voices against such incidents are being harassed, the memorandum claimed, and asked the governor to direct the state government to take stern action to prevent incidents of conversion and ensure prompt legal action in such complaints.

The BJP claimed no action was taken after it complained to the Raipur superintendent of police about alleged conversion of some people in Bhatagoan area here, and those who reached Purani Basti police to raise their voices against the episode were put behind bars.

Terming the arrests as "unilateral action" taken by the administration, the BJP delegation demanded the release of those sent to jail by Purani Basti police.

On September 5, a pastor and two others were allegedly manhandled and abused by a mob inside Purani Basti police station here, following which two persons were arrested.

Hitting back, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, head of the state Congress communication wing, said, "The BJP has lost the trust of people and by raising the fake issue of conversion, it is just trying to revive itself. But people of the state understand its mischief. People are aware that whenever the BJP runs short of issues, it starts the politics of religion to save its existence."

The BJP also organised a 3-kilometre foot march from Azad Chowk to Raj Bhavan during the day to highlight the issue.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)