Tilak-wearing man storms Christian prayer meeting, harasses worshippers and makes blasphemous remarks
Bangalore: In yet another disturbing incident of hate speech in Modi’s India, a man wearing a tilak (a mark worn on the forehead in Hinduism) aggressively disrupted a Christian prayer session in Bangalore, Karnataka, threatening the priest and members of the congregation, while passing blasphemous remarks about Christian figures, beliefs, religious symbols, and texts, including the Bible.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident was captured on video, which has since gone viral, triggering widespread outrage and calls for police action.
In the video, the man, identified as Satyanishta Arya, along with a few associates, can be seen confronting the Christian priest and members of the congregation. He repeatedly interrupts the prayer programme, questioning the priest, “What is Jesus Christ’s book?” When the priest responds, “The Gospel of John and the Bible,” the man launches into a tirade, mocking Christian teachings and religious scriptures.
He is heard making derogatory remarks about the Bible, questioning its origins, and asserting the supremacy of Hindu scriptures. “We will never follow any Christian’s Bible… Jai Shri Ram!” he shouts in the video. He also declares, “Jesus Christ is not ours. Who is ours? Lord Rama, am I right?”
The video further shows him making inflammatory comparisons to the Babri Masjid, suggesting forced religious change, and using abusive language against Muslim cleric Maulana Mehmood Madani. Arya goes on to mock the Christian belief in the virgin birth of Jesus, repeatedly questioning the priest about Mother Mary’s pregnancy. At several points, he is seen intimidating those present, including telling others not to speak and abusing a woman who questions him.
The disturbing video has drawn sharp criticism online, with many users condemning the remarks as hate speech and calling for stronger legal action.
Reacting to the video, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said, “The criminals seen in this video harbour deep hatred towards Christians. Narendra Modi, what kind of country are you building? Will a law like the National Security Act (NSA) be applied to these criminals or not?”
Journalist Tamal Saha also questioned the apparent inaction, pointing to what he described as a stark contradiction in the state’s approach. He said that while authorities claim to be searching for “illegal Bangladeshis” in Bengal, the same standards are not applied here. He warned that the individual was not merely attacking Christians but undermining India itself through hate speech. He also criticised the lack of police action, calling the remarks in the video blasphemous.
