Gurgaon: A group of people associated with several right-wing outfits led by a former RSS and BJP member Narendra Singh Pahari, barged into a school located at Narhera, Pataudi town during a Christmas eve celebration and disrupted the event, alleging that people from the Christian community had congregated there for “religious conversion”.
They also raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram (long live Lord Ram)” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai (hail mother India)”. Videos of the incident show a man addressing the students and staff. “Christianity is not acceptable here. We are not disrespecting Jesus Christ but we want to tell the future generations to remember him if they want, and do it legally but not fall for attempts of religious conversion. It will destroy Indian culture,” he can be heard saying.
A group called ‘House Hope Gurugram’ had organised the Christmas event and reportedly chanted ‘praise to Jesus Christ’ after a song performance that irked some locals who saw it as a call to convert students into the Christian faith. The school administration sent the group back to placate the situation, according to media reports.
“It was scary as we had women and children around in the church. The nuisance is increasing with each passing day. It’s an infringement of our right to pray and follow our religion,” a local pastor told news agency PTI.
Narendra Singh alleged that poor people were being converted in the name of a Christmas celebration and they were raising slogans against the deed, several media reports cited.
The incident comes at a time when Muslims offering prayers were repeatedly disrupted by right-wing groups in some open spaces in Gurgaon.