Church-Shiv Sena dispute: Sena stages dharna against conversions

The protesters alleged religious conversions and said that Christians were forcing them to change their religion.

Members of Shiv Sena protest outside the division no.2 police station in Ludhiana on Thursday. (Source: Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)

The ongoing land dispute between the Kalvari church management and one Rajan T Singh took another turn on Thursday as the Shiv Sena along with other Hindu organisations protested in front of division number 2 police station.

The protesters alleged religious conversions and said that Christians were forcing them to change their religion. To maintain law and order, heavy police security was deployed around the church and police station.

The allegation came two days after Rajan T Singh, a police constable, along with Shiv Sena activists tried to attack the church and pastor Darbara Singh alleged that the church management had grabbed his piece of land.

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An FIR was registered against 15-18 members of the Shiv Sena on the complaint of Daniel, the present caretaker of the land in question.

On Thursday, pastor Darbara Singh met Police Commissioner Pramod Ban and demanded a fair inquiry into the case. The inquiry was marked to ACP (central) and division number 2 SHO Gurpreet Singh said that no arrests had been made in the case so far.

Meanwhile, a woman called Rani Pal, who protested along with the Shiv Sena, got an FIR registered against priest Afzal Chaudhary and Sri Nath, alleging that they forced her to change her religion from Hindu to Christianity.

“The woman alleged that on December 9, she was forced to undergo religion conversion and both the accused tried to lure her with money, a new home and free treatment at Christian Medical College and Hospital,” said SHO Gurpreet Singh.

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Police registered the FIR against Chaudhary and Sri Nath under Section 295 of the IPC. The SHO said that they were yet to make any arrest in the case.

Asgar Masih, legal advisor of the church, said, “Afzal Chaudhary had some old dispute with the church management but later he entered a compromise. Now Shiv Sena is deliberately getting him into the picture to defame the church management.”

Pastor Darbara Singh said that “police commissioner has assured him of a free and fair inquiry into the case”.

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