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ISLAMABAD: Six members of the Bajrang Dal who were arrested for allegedly vandalizing Christmas decorations at Raipur&rsquo;s Magneto Mall were released on bail this week, a development that sparked controversy after public celebrations and provocative slogans marked their release, Indian media reported. Bajrang Dal is a right-wing Hindu nationalist youth organization affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, known for activism around Hindutva issues in India. The incident dates back to Dec. 24, when a group of men allegedly barged into the mall armed with sticks and damaged Christmas-themed decorations a day ahead of the festival. Vandalism&nbsp;Videos of the vandalism circulated widely on social media, showing festive installations being destroyed in the presence of shoppers and staff.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004056933062549907&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=3e0b7d10fff2d541d135e8c2f166b52a2a9a97f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Police later arrested six Bajrang Dal workers on Dec. 27 in connection with the incident. A magistrate&#39;s court in Raipur initially denied bail to the accused. However, a sessions court subsequently granted them bail, following which the six walked out of jail on Thursday. Their release was followed by a procession organized by supporters, who welcomed them with garlands, drums, and celebratory music. &lsquo;Isai missionary murdabad&rsquo;Videos shared online showed the men being carried on shoulders while slogans such as &ldquo;Isai missionary murdabad&rdquo; (Death to Christian Missionaries) and &ldquo;Jai Shri Ram&rdquo; (Victory to Lord Ram) were raised.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1074px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007311600441835520&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=3e0b7d10fff2d541d135e8c2f166b52a2a9a97f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Bajrang Dal state coordinator Rishi Mishra defended the celebration, stating that there was nothing inappropriate about organizing a procession for those released on bail, Indian media reported. He claimed the incident was linked to protests against alleged religious conversions in Chhattisgarh and said slogans reflected that sentiment. The vandalism occurred on the day a Hindutva group had called for a state-wide &quot;bandh&quot; (shutdown) to protest alleged illegal religious conversions. The bandh followed communal tensions in Bade Teoda village of Kanker district, where clashes broke out on Dec. 16 and 17 over the burial of a Christian individual. Public show of intimidation&nbsp;Fresh violence was reported from the same village on Dec. 18 after a mob breached police barricades. A case against the six accused has been registered at the Telibandha Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including trespassing, causing damage to property, rioting, unlawful assembly, and causing hurt. Civil society groups and minority organizations have criticized the celebratory welcome, arguing that it turns a routine legal process into a public show of intimidation. Police officials said investigations into the Magneto Mall vandalism are ongoing and that legal proceedings will continue.

India

Six Bajrang Dal members accused of vandalizing Christmas decorations at Raipur’s Magneto Mall were released on bail and publicly welcomed by supporters with garlands, drums, and slogans, drawing criticism and highlighting continuing communal tensions in India.

In India, right-wing Hindu militants celebrated after bail in Christmas vandalism case

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s opposition party Congress has strongly criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party following the arrest of a Christian priest and 11 others during a Christmas prayer meeting in Nagpur, Maharashtra, alleging that the incident reflected a &ldquo;hate-filled agenda of religious bigotry.&rdquo; According to party leaders, Maharashtra police arrested 12 people, including Father Sudhir, a Malayali priest of the Church of South India (CSI) South Kerala Diocese, Nagpur Mission, and his wife Jasmine, after a complaint was allegedly filed by activists of the right-wing Bajrang Dal, Indian media reported on Wednesday. Bajrang Dal is a right‑wing activist group in India often described as a hardline outfit affiliated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad that mobilizes youth around Hindu nationalist causes and has frequently featured in media reports on communal tensions and protests. The arrests reportedly took place around 8 p.m. on Wednesday while a Christmas prayer meeting was underway in Nagpur. Congress leaders further claimed that some individuals who later went to the police station to enquire about the arrests were also taken into custody, and cases were registered against them. &lsquo;Unlivable for all minorities&rsquo;Congress MP and general secretary K.C. Venugopal described the incident as &ldquo;highly condemnable&rdquo; in a post on X, alleging that the BJP was &ldquo;using the state machinery to harass Christians under the bogus pretense of religious conversions.&rdquo; He said that growing polarization had made life &ldquo;unlivable for all minorities&rdquo; in BJP-ruled states and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against the priest.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006346591884497255&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=540f4e4c6e04dafb7862c8f834f012a856302552&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Venugopal also called for strict action against those he described as &ldquo;Bajrang Dal goons,&rdquo; alleging their actions led to what he termed a &ldquo;frivolous case.&rdquo; &ldquo;Those who take law into their own hands and destroy the secular fabric envisioned in our Constitution must be the ones receiving punishment, not innocent citizens,&rdquo; Venugopal said.&nbsp;Call for urgent intervention&nbsp;Kerala Assembly Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan also condemned the arrests and sought urgent intervention from the center and the Maharashtra government. Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on X, he demanded the immediate release of all those arrested.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006290744508834178&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=540f4e4c6e04dafb7862c8f834f012a856302552&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>In a letter, Satheesan stated that Father Sudhir is a native of Amaravila in Thiruvananthapuram district and has been serving in Maharashtra for the past five years, while the remaining 10 arrested individuals are residents of Maharashtra. He said all those detained were being held at the Benoda Police Station and were likely to be produced before a court shortly, noting that attempts by CSI representatives to secure bail at the police station were unsuccessful. Describing the episode as alarming, Satheesan said the arrests raised serious concerns about violations of constitutional rights, particularly the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate religion.

Opposition leaders condemn the arrest of Father Sudhir and 11 others during a Christmas prayer in Nagpur, accusing the BJP and Bajrang Dal of harassment and demanding the immediate release of those arrested.

Congress condemns India’s ruling BJP over Nagpur Christian priest’s arrest

ISLAMABAD: The United Christian Forum (UCF), in a letter to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, said that it had documented an alarming increase in incidents targeting Christians across India as of November 2025. The UCF is an Indian civil society organization that works on issues related to the protection of Christians&rsquo; rights, documenting violence and discrimination against the community, and advocating for religious freedom and social justice in the South Asian country. According to an Indian media report, in the letter dated Dec. 23, the UCF said that 834 incidents of violence against Christians were recorded in 2024, averaging 69.5 incidents per month over the past 10 years. It said that allegations of fraudulent religious conversions were cited as the primary reason for many of these attacks. UCF identified Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh as the states reporting the highest number of incidents, with 157 and 184 cases, respectively, till November 2025. Burial-related disputes&nbsp;The letter highlighted burial-related disputes in tribal regions, stating that Christians were routinely denied burial space and, in some cases, forced to exhume the bodies of their dead. According to the forum, 23 burial-related incidents were recorded in 2025, including 19 in Chhattisgarh, two in Jharkhand, and one each in Odisha and West Bengal. It further stated that around 40 such incidents were recorded in 2024, with 30 reported from Chhattisgarh, six from Jharkhand, and others from Bihar and Karnataka. The letter cited specific incidents, including one on Dec. 15 in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, where a body buried according to Christian rites was allegedly sought to be exhumed by a mob. Disruption of prayer meetings&nbsp;It also referred to a burial being denied in Balod district in November 2025 and another incident in Odisha&rsquo;s Nabarangpur district in April 2025, where a body was exhumed and burnt after the family reportedly refused to renounce Christianity. UCF referred to a report by the People&rsquo;s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka, which documented alleged police collusion with Hindutva groups, disruption of Christian prayer meetings, and the filing of complaints under sections 295A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code. The letter also noted that freedom of religion laws, commonly referred to as anti-conversion laws, were in force in 12 Indian states and stated that, in practice, these laws target religious minorities. Increase in attack incidents&nbsp;<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/34f0dcf2-5566-432c-8f1d-2e0a0f5f6da6.png" style="width: 482px;" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-fir">The forum cited an Article 14 analysis of police reports registered under conversion laws in Uttar Pradesh, stating that many were based on third-party complaints. It also referred to recent incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh involving arrests, demolitions, and cases registered during prayer gatherings and Christmas celebrations. According to other Indian media reports, the UCF has earlier pointed to a steep rise in cases of attacks against Christians in India over the past decade, with annual incidents increasing from 127 in 2014 to 834 in 2024. According to UCF data, violence has increased significantly since 2014 (graph).

India's United Christian Forum has highlighted a steep rise in cases of attacks against Christians in India over the past decade, with annual incidents increasing from 127 in 2014 to 834 in 2024.

Articles tagged with "Christmas in India"

In India, right-wing Hindu militants celebrated after bail in Christmas vandalism case

Congress condemns India’s ruling BJP over Nagpur Christian priest’s arrest

Advocacy group decries sevenfold increase in attacks on India's Christians in letter to home minister