After disrupting namaz for weeks consecutively in Gurugram, Hindu right-wing groups barged into a church on Christmas eve and disrupted celebrations.
Chanting slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, Hindutva goons forced their way into a church’s premises in Haryana’s Pataudi on Friday evening and disrupted Christmas festivities. The videos of the episode have been doing rounds on social media where the goons can be seen pushing the choir members down the stage and snatching the mic.
A local pastor told PTI, “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 religion.” Pataudi station house officer Amit Kumar said the police did not receive any complaints so far.
Hindu right-wing forces have been targeting places of worship of minorities, disrupting peaceful prayers, and festivities.
Haryana has witnessed attacks on Muslims for consecutive weeks and with Christmas around the corner, Christian religious and educational institutions have been on the radar of the Hindutva goons.
The Friday namaz was being disrupted by the right-wing “activists” for weeks consecutively with people threatening Muslims against offering prayers in open spaces, including those which had been designated for the purpose, which led to the chief minister of the state, Manohar Lal Khattar, to withdraw the permissions.
“No member of any community should hold religious prayers in public places,” CM Khattar told the state assembly on Tuesday, amid objections by several Hindu groups to Friday prayers by Muslims in open in Gurugram.
“People of all faiths hold prayers at designated religious places like temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches and permissions are given for all big festivals and programmes in open,” Khattar said, in response to Nuh Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed raising the issue of objection by Hindu groups during Zero Hour in the House.
(With inputs from PTI)