By Nikita Jain
In Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, a new ‘unofficial’ order has been doing the rounds – shut down the house churches or face legal consequences.
Defying Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, the order has been taken out by the Raipur Police, which has led to the shutdown of many churches in Chhattisgarh’s capital, mostly due to fear of attack by Hindutva outfits like Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Speaking to Maktoob, one of the lead advocates in the petition filed against the order said that there is a selective legal attack on practicing Christians who are peacefully praying in their homes.
While attacks on Christian communities are at an all-time high in Chhattisgarh and other parts of the country, the ban on house churches is a recent attack that has left many in the community stressed.
The advocate said that the order is not new and has been subtly coming into play for the past few months.
In July this year, two pastors were called for discussion at Purani Basti Police Station. The thanedar told the pastors to shut down the churches.
On questioning this decision, they were told to reach out to the Collector or the Additional District Magistrate (ADM). A few months later, the community members were called along with Bajrang Dal members, wherein the Collector and ADM said that according to a law named Sarvajanik Dharmik Bhawan Tatha Sthan Viniyaman Adhiniyam.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.