VHP volunteers disrupt meet to discuss Easter plans in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar, claim ‘religious conversion’
The Ankleshwar police in Gujarat’s Bharuch district said they did not find ‘any religious activities’ at the meeting held on Tuesday evening. The police have launched a probe into the incident.
A meeting held by members of the Christian community in Ankleshwar in Gujarat’s Bharuch district on Tuesday evening was allegedly disrupted by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) volunteers who shouted slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and claimed that religious conversions were taking place at the event. With both groups complaining, the police arrested the organiser of the event and launched an investigation into the incident.
The incident took place at a hall in the Omkar-2 complex at Ankleshwar. Members of the Christian community had called a meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss plans for Good Friday and Easter. Several people had gathered for the meeting and a prayer was also held. While the meeting was in progress, several VHP volunteers reached the spot, chanting slogans.
When the Bharuch police control room was alerted, the police reached the spot. The police checked the attendees and found several religious books and a liquor bottle. The police registered an offence of prohibition against Ramesh Pithwa, who had organised the meeting and had rented the hall. Pithwa was later released on bail.
“We got information about some right-wing people carrying out disturbances at Omkar complex in an ongoing peaceful meeting. The VHP people claimed that religious activities were in progress and on our checking we did not find any religious activities. All those present were Christians. They have given applications against each other and based on these, we have started a probe,” Ankleshwar B Division Police Inspector V K Bhutiya told The Indian Express.
Bharuch Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda also sent top police officials to the spot to ensure the incident did not escalate.
“We got information about religious conversion activities in progress in the Christian community gathering. Our teams reached the spot and simultaneously, the police also arrived. We have handed an application to the police to probe and find out whether religious conversion activities were in progress or not,” Ankleshwar VHP leader Ajay Mishra said.
A Christian community leader who was present at the meeting said on condition of anonymity, “All the people present in the meeting were Christians by birth and the meeting was to discuss the preparations of events for the upcoming Good Friday and Easter. There are no religious conversion activities in Ankleshwar.”
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