NEW DELHI: Within ten days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on religious tolerance at Syro Malabar Church in Delhi, Jaipur witnessed custodial violence against Christian priests. Twenty members of Hebron Church, Hyderabad, were allegedly picked up and beaten by the police while they were carrying out ‘publicity of their faith’, in Jaipur yesterday.
The religious gathering was taking place at Varun Path when the Jaipur police dispersed them after checking identification and addresses. Later, the preachers were picked from Shanti Nagar, Gurjar Ki Thadi, where they were staying and taken to the police station and allegedly beaten.
“It is ironical that instead of bringing the law breakers to the police station, they pushed these 20 representatives in two jeeps and kicked them and pushed them on reaching the police station. There ASI Daya Ram and one ASI in police clothes and one other in plain clothes, were subjected to third degree torture. They were made to spread their palms and were hit with a patta”, according to the memorandum filed by the Christian community, Sadbhav Manch (an inter-faith dialog platform) and the Human Rights workers of Rajasthan with the police commissioner of Jaipur Janga Rao, soon after.
After the human rights activists informed the SP of the incident ACP Sodala and SHO Mansarovar arrived at the police station and only then the FIR was lodged.
“With great difficulty the 20 preachers lodged their complaint, with Daya Ram constantly threatening them, despite our presence there. What shocked us was that when the complaint process was happening the Thana was filled with several RSS and other elements who used abusive language against us”, the memorandum claimed.
“ It is clear to us that at the behest of the hindutva communal forces, who hurled abuses and barged into the house, the police carried out this action.” the memorandum, signed by several activists and others, states.
PUCL activist Kavita Srivastava told The Citizen said, “The recent comments made by Mohan Bhagwat against Mother Teresa has emboldened all those who are against the Christian community. They have been distributing pamphlets all over.” The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Bhagwat had questioned Mother Teresa’s motives, hinting at her using her work with the poor for conversions.