By Ejaz Kaiser
RAIPUR: Tension prevailed at Bhatanpali after a Dalit family that got converted into Christianity dismantled a temple built by them, leading to a protest by cadres of Bajrang Dal in the outskirts of Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh town.
The police arrested five, including three members of the Dalit family after the incident.
A senior police officer told TNIE that the Sarthi family had built the temple in 2020 on government land, though there was no idol placed inside and only the structure existed.
The family accepted the Christian faith a year ago, and the temple was dismantled by a JCB machine.
“As the news spread, a group of Bajrang Dal cadres arrived and, claiming that their religious sentiments were hurt, attempted to reach out to a nearby church to vandalise it in retaliation, but the police intervened and prevented it,” the officer said.
The existing church was built on private land some 25 years ago.
According to eyewitnesses, some Bajrang Dal protestors managed to enter the church, raised a saffron coloured cloth and tried to remove the cross.
“There was a scuffle between the activists of Bajrang Dal and the police, who asked the protestors not to take the law into their hands. We have arrested five persons including three members of the Sarthi family and an operator of a JCB machinery that was used to demolish the temple”, the officer added.
The locals close to Nirmal Sarthi claimed that the family was initially taken to a police station to safeguard them from the protestors, and later they were arrested by the police.
“The demolished temple was a 6 ft x 6ft structure built by the Sarthi family close to the entrance of their residence.
This story was originally published in newindianexpress.com. Read the full story here.