Bhopal June 06, 2006 1:15:15 AM IST
Bajrang Dal activists Monday barged into a press briefing organised by the Madhya Pradesh Christian Association (MPCA) here and threatened its leaders to stop making accusations that bring a bad name to their Hindu right wing organisation.
Just when MPCA president Indira Iyengar was talking to reporters about the saffron brigade's alleged atrocities on Christians, the activists arrived at the venue of the press meet, hardly a kilometre away from both the chief minister's residence and the state police headquarters.
The Bajrang Dal activists were led by city convenor Devendra Singh Rawat, who entered into a verbal duel with Iyengar. He alleged forced religious conversions of poor tribals by the community's leaders and presented a tribal couple of Bhopal that claimed it was forced to convert.
(IANS)
Bajrang moral cops strike again
RASHEED KIDWAI
Bhopal, June 5: After a brief lull, the Bajrang Dal is on the rampage again, targeting the minorities and acting moral police.
Today, it disrupted a news conference in which two Christian women, who were allegedly gangraped, were being presented. A day earlier, its activists had harassed two government officials, a man and a woman, for apparently getting cosy in private.
State Bajrang Dal convener Devender Rawat and his men forced their way into a news conference that was being addressed by state minorities commission member Indira Iyenger.
Shouting at the top of his voice, Rawat said: "I will not allow you to tarnish the image of nationalist Hindu organisations."
As Iyenger rose to respond, the gang began vandalising the venue. The police took their time arriving and, instead of making arrests, merely asked the Dal activists and Iyenger to leave.
Yesterday, Rawat and his gang had barged into a house in upscale Char Imli where a senior government official was in the company of a woman colleague.
Rawat accused them of "inappropriate behaviour" and dragged both to a police station. The police, however, could not register a case as the matter involved consenting adults getting together at a private place.
An unfazed Rawat justified his action. "They were doing dirty things and we caught them red-handed," he said. "It's a shame the police didn’t take stringent action."
Bajrang Dal activists Monday barged into a press briefing organised by the Madhya Pradesh Christian Association (MPCA) here and threatened its leaders to stop making accusations that bring a bad name to their Hindu right wing organisation.
Just when MPCA president Indira Iyengar was talking to reporters about the saffron brigade's alleged atrocities on Christians, the activists arrived at the venue of the press meet, hardly a kilometre away from both the chief minister's residence and the state police headquarters.
The Bajrang Dal activists were led by city convenor Devendra Singh Rawat, who entered into a verbal duel with Iyengar. He alleged forced religious conversions of poor tribals by the community's leaders and presented a tribal couple of Bhopal that claimed it was forced to convert.
(IANS)
Bajrang moral cops strike again
RASHEED KIDWAI
Bhopal, June 5: After a brief lull, the Bajrang Dal is on the rampage again, targeting the minorities and acting moral police.
Today, it disrupted a news conference in which two Christian women, who were allegedly gangraped, were being presented. A day earlier, its activists had harassed two government officials, a man and a woman, for apparently getting cosy in private.
State Bajrang Dal convener Devender Rawat and his men forced their way into a news conference that was being addressed by state minorities commission member Indira Iyenger.
Shouting at the top of his voice, Rawat said: "I will not allow you to tarnish the image of nationalist Hindu organisations."
As Iyenger rose to respond, the gang began vandalising the venue. The police took their time arriving and, instead of making arrests, merely asked the Dal activists and Iyenger to leave.
Yesterday, Rawat and his gang had barged into a house in upscale Char Imli where a senior government official was in the company of a woman colleague.
Rawat accused them of "inappropriate behaviour" and dragged both to a police station. The police, however, could not register a case as the matter involved consenting adults getting together at a private place.
An unfazed Rawat justified his action. "They were doing dirty things and we caught them red-handed," he said. "It's a shame the police didn’t take stringent action."
