Hindu woman defends churchgoing after Bhopal church attacked

In a clear example of violence perpetrated on false allegations of religious conversion, a Protestant church in Madhya Pradesh was attacked even after the Hindu congregants denied being coerced to convert to Christianity.

Hindu activists from the VHP and Bajrang Dal Sunday stormed the Assemblies of God Church in Bhopal city and disrupted the service, accusing the clergy of forcefully converting people.

The activists alleged that the church was converting a mother-daughter duo by coercion and demanded the closure of the church and arrest of the pastor.

"Under the conversion laws of our country, a case should be registered against them. The priest who has come from outside should be arrested," said Chandrashekhar Tiwari of Sanskriti Bachao Manch.

But Kunti, one of the women denied the claim and said she was attending the church for the past ten years. She clarified that she was regularly attending the Sunday services and the prayer sessions.

The other woman Vinita also rejected the allegation and said she was a regular attendee of the church and will continue to do so.

While she criticised the Hindu activists for being ignorant of "customs and traditions", she also cleared the air stating, "We have nothing to do with religious conversions."

Abraham George, secretary of the Assemblies of God Church, rejected the conversion charges and said the attackers "knew nothing about Christianity and Sunday service."

He added: "In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, we seem to have lost our right to religion.

Meanwhile, the police after its preliminary investigation confirmed that the Hindu women were not forced and came to the church on their own.

Both the parties have filed a case.