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Tension in Uttar Pradesh village following conversion |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
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 Tension prevailed in Ramchandrapur village of Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh on 24 January 2006 following the Dalit community’s embracing of Christianity en masse. Police sources said there was tension in the village as Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal workers tried to convert the Dalits back to Hinduism.
Sultanpur has been in the news for increasing incidence of violence against the minority Christian community. Recently Ram Prakash, a pastor from Mahmudpur village in Sultanpur district, was beaten up while in police custody and continues to face threats from Hindu activists. Prakash was visiting a Christian relative in an ‘untouchable’ Dalit colony when he was attacked by Hindu activists. Local high-caste Hindu leaders led a group of about 200 people to Harish Chandra's house, where they accused Prakash of converting local people to Christianity. The Hindu leaders seized Prakash and began to physically abuse him. Chandra pulled Prakash back into the house and locked the doors. But the crowd soon broke through the door and began beating Chandra and his wife. They also threatened the women in the house and used abusive language against other Christians who were present. Meanwhile Prakash managed to call in the local police on his mobile phone which was later taken from him by the mob. When the police arrived, they arrested Prakash instead of the attackers. He was taken to the police station and held on the pretext of further investigation. Prakash was eventually released on bail. Hindu activists later charged Prakash under section 151 of the Indian Penal Code for spreading communal tension.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 06 November 2009 )
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