Several Bajrang Dal activists thrashed and blackened the faces of a group of eight men and two women at the Indore Press Club in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday when they were about to address a press conference to deny allegations of working for religious conversion.
Even before the youths could begin the media interaction, many Bajrang Dal activists stormed the venue and began beating them up. The right-wing Hindu organization’s members did not even spare the girls.
The Bajrang Dal activists also blackened the faces of some youths. The police managed to escort the youths away in a police jeep.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal’s division coordinator, Avinash Kaushal, alleged that the group had been carrying out religious conversions in the forests of the neighbouring Dewas district. He accused them of luring needy people with false promises to convert them to Christianity.
However, Sourav Banerjee from West Bengal, who was one of the assaulted individuals and a journalist, denied all allegations. He stated that they were engaged in social work with the knowledge of local authorities and had no connection to religious conversions or foreign funding.
He also accused Bajrang Dal members of issuing death threats and preventing them from addressing the media.
According to Police Inspector Ajay Gurjar, the matter is being investigated from all angles under the supervision of senior officers. He said the police are verifying the group’s background and purpose through electronic and field evidence.
This story was originally published in thestatesman.com.
