Right-wing activists sing bhajan at Karnataka church to protest against religious conversion

New Delhi: Some members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) allegedly barged into a makeshift church in Karnataka’s Hubbali district and performed Bhajans, as a mark of protest against alleged forced religious conversions there.

As per the report, local BJP MLA Arvind Bellad blocked a highway demanding the arrest of Pastor Somu Avaradhi as reports claimed that an organised and forced religious conversion was taken place there.

Later, both members of the church and the activists of Bajrang Dal and VHP alleged that they were attacked by the other. A complaint has been registered under law for protection of Scheduled Castes and Tribes and one against “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings”.

In a video circulating on YouTube, several men could be seen inside the makeshift church, where they could be seen sitting inside the Bairidevarkoppa Church in Hubbali around 11 am, singing bhajans.

“A man called Vishvanath was taken there for conversion. He went to the police station from the church and filed a complaint against the Pastor Somu and others. Later, our members assembled inside the church and in order to protest, started singing Hindu bhajans,” a leading portal quotes Bajrang Dal convenor of state as saying.

According to Labu Ram, Commissioner of Police for Hubli-Dhadwad, pastor Somu Avaradhi has been arrested and the police is yet to received any complaint from the church”