Hindutva hooligans target Christians across cities: Jabalpur BJP VP leads charge by abusing the visually impaired

by Kinjal

“You were blind in this life, and you’ll be blind in the next. You apply vermilion to your hairline and bring your daughter to a Christian home!”

As India geared up to celebrate Christmas, a deeply disturbing video of Jabalpur city BJP vice-president Anju Bhargava abusing and heckling a visually impaired woman in a church went viral, sending shockwaves across the country.   

The incident unfolded on December 20 in the presence of police at a luncheon held for visually challenged children at the Hawabagh Church in Jabalpur. A prayer meeting was underway before the lunch when Bhargava arrived with representatives of Hindu organizations and began questioning the differently abled children and teachers. She alleged that the children were being forcefully converted. During an argument, she was seen physically heckling a visually impaired woman. 

Those attending the programme denied the ‘conversion’ allegations and stated that they had been attending the church for a long time. The claims of conversion were completely false, the asserted. Bhargava told the woman she was blind in this life and would remain blind in the next as well. She was also heard questioning why, despite wearing vermillion, she had brought a child to a church. 

Bhargava had been appointed vice-president of the Jabalpur city unit of BJP only days before the incident, on December 16.

Jabalpur was only one of many similar incidents reported from across the country. In each case, the perpetrators were linked to Hindutva outfits.

Ghaziabad: ‘How did Mother Mary Get Pregnant?’

“How did Mother Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, become pregnant? Tell me how Jesus Christ was born?”

In a video that went viral capturing an incident in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, a man named Satyanistha Arya was seen asking these questions to a church priest, his eyes burning with anger and hatred. He was accompanied by several members of a Hindutva organization.

Arya was part of a group that allegedly stormed a church in Ghaziabad and heckled the pastor there. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the priest and made several objectionable comments about Christianity and the Bible.

He threatened the pastor, saying, “Where was the Bible manufactured? Where was it printed? The Christian Bible, a foreign book in foreign language, ​​will not be accepted in our India… What is ours? We have the four Vedas, Manusmriti, and Upanishads. We will not follow any Christian Bible. Am I clear?” He then shouts, “Jai Sri Ram, Jesus Christ is not ours.”

He also said, “We have only Ram as our God.” He further exclaims, “The Babri Masjid is being built here and no one is raising their voice… Maulana Mahmood Madani is anti-national. That b*****d should be arrested… I am saying him (the priest) in front of everyone, How did Mother Mary get pregnant?…”

When the priest replied, “By the Holy Spirit,” Arya shot back, “How can you have a child without sex?”

During this conversation, a woman present there said, “He is the Son of God.” At this, Satyanitha Arya started questioning the woman, “Can you explain this to the gynecologist? You baby… are you educated baby?… tell me the process of having a child? Tell me how you were born?”

 

Who is Satyanistha Arya?

Currently settled in India, Arya alias Sunnyur Rahman is originally a Bangladesh citizen. He hails from Nakhal Para in Dhaka. His journey from a Muslim to an atheist to a hate-spewing Hindutva flag-bearer has been a controversial one, to say the least. In 2013, he had proudly proclaimed, “Thank God I am an atheist.” In 2018, he changed his identity to a Sanatani Hindu and donned the name Satyanishtha Arya. Senior Bangladeshi journalist Nuruzzaman Labu told media outlet enewsroom in 2018, “Sunnyur has a wife, her name is Afia Islam. Bangladesh government is aware of the fact that he is in India, but they do not know, what he is doing there.”

Odisha: Santa Claus Costume Seller Harassed

“This is a Hindu nation, Christians won’t be allowed here… Poor man, sell Jagannath’s property! It won’t be allowed here!… If you are a Hindu, how are you doing this?”

On December 20 self-proclaimed cow protector Radha Madhav Das and his companions harassed people selling Santa Claus costumes on the street. They were asked to leave the spot. India is now a Hindu nation, and Christians will not be allowed to do so, they were told. In a video that has gone viral, Radha Madhav Das is seen issuing a similar warning to others, saying, “This will not be tolerated in the land of Jagannath!”

In the video, Das tells the vendors, “Bring a permission letter, then sell; we have no problem.” Later, the same man instigated people nearby to chase away these selling items related to the Christian festival.

Radha Madhav Das posted this video on Instagram, which has received over 400,000 views at the time of this report being written. The caption of the video reads, “Request to Hindu brothers, we all have to wake up; we can save our religion only when we wake up.”

Lajpat Nagar, Delhi: Bajrang Dal Members Chase Away Children

People, including, children wearing red Christmas caps and standing on the side of a road were heckled in Lajpat Nagar, Delhi. “Go away, go to your homes. What is this? Why are you doing this useless thing? Celebrate whatever you want to celebrate in your homes… Take off these caps? What’s this drama? You’re trying to convert people here,” a person is heard saying in a video capturing the incident, which has since gone viral.

 

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News18 India shared a portion of this video on social media, claiming that Bajrang Dal members had created a ruckus in Lajpat Nagar, Delhi. The viral clip shows them misbehaving with women as well.

According to reports, no official complaint was lodged in this regard. Calling it a minor incident and a momentary dispute, DC (South East Delhi) Hemant Tiwary told the media, “The matter was amicably resolved on the spot by the individuals involved…”

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About the Author

Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.