Hindutva mob storms church in Jabalpur, attacks worshippers , raises Hindutva slogans
Jabalpur: In a blatant incident reflecting the growing threats faced by religious minorities under the BJP-led dispensation in India, Hindutva goons associated with RSS-backed organisations barged into a church in the Madhotal area of Jabalpur city in Madhya Pradesh, disrupting prayers, throwing chairs and raising provocative “Jai Shri Ram” slogans.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place during the weekly mass at a church near Shiv Shakti Nagar when a gang of Hindutva activists armed with iron rods and hockey sticks forcibly entered the premises. The attackers accused the church administration of facilitating religious conversions, the charge was strongly denied by church officials and worshippers.
The attackers, eyewitnesses said, created panic among women and children by shouting slogans, hurling chairs and attempting to intimidate those present. The mob stormed the hall.
Church representatives said that the gathering was a routine prayer meeting attended voluntarily by believers. They maintained that the prayers were purely spiritual in nature and had no political or coercive motive.
Hindutva outfit, Hindu Seva Parishad, claimed they arrived at the church around 11 a.m. to question what they described as an unusually large gathering, including people from neighbouring districts. Media reports said verbal arguments quickly escalated into a confrontation after they began interrogating worshippers, leading to ruckus inside the church.
A church member, Jitendra Barman, said 15 to 20 youths broke into the prayer hall and attacked women and children. He asked why peaceful Christian prayer gatherings were being targeted while similar interference is rarely seen at other religious congregations, calling the incident a blatant violation of the right to worship.
A similar incident was reported a day earlier in Katanga area of Jabalpur, where Hindutva activists disrupted another church gathering, alleging forced conversion of blind children, prompting police intervention to restore order.
Observers say repeated attacks on churches and Christian gatherings across India point to a disturbing pattern of emboldened Hindutva vigilantism, carried out with relative impunity. Rights activists argue that such incidents expose the shrinking space for religious freedom in India, where minorities are increasingly targeted through intimidation, mob violence and false conversion allegations, undermining constitutional guarantees of equality and freedom of belief.
