On Sunday, 20th October, Azamgarh Police raided a house in the Kandharapur area of Miria Redha village following a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party District Vice President Harivansh Mishra and halted a mass conversion event. A team led by Kandharapur Station House Officer (SHO) Rudrbhan Pandey raided the location and seized objectionable materials, including religious books. The person behind the mass conversion event was identified as Rajaram Yadav. He was taken into custody by the police for further questioning.
In his complaint, Mishra alleged that several Hindus were being coerced into converting to Christianity. He further accused Yadav of forcing Hindus to tear down the images of Hindu deities and replace them with Christian symbols. Mishra informed the police that the village had become a hotspot for conversion activities and described the incident as a large-scale conversion attempt. He accused Yadav, the main suspect in the case, of using allurements and deceptive methods to persuade Hindus to abandon their faith. He said, “This is a serious attack on the Hindu faith, and I have filed a formal complaint demanding strict action.”
Superintendent of Police (SP) City, Shailendra Lal, confirmed in a statement that police recovered objectionable literature from the site. He added that the accused, Rajaram Yadav, was detained following the raid. He said, “A case has been registered, and legal proceedings are underway.” According to reports, Christian prayer meetings were being held in the area every Sunday and Thursday, targeting vulnerable villagers for conversion.
#Azamgarh: थाना कंधरापुर क्षेत्रान्तर्गत धर्मान्तरण की सूचना पर एक व्यक्ति को पुलिस हिरासत में लिया गया है, के सम्बन्ध में #Spcityazh का आधिकारिक वक्तव्य।#UPPolice @adgzonevaranasi @digazamgarh @News18UP @112UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/NjSnGq0xnF
— AZAMGARH POLICE (@azamgarhpolice) October 20, 2024
Notably, a similar incident occurred in the area a couple of weeks ago, when conversion attempts under the guise of healing sessions were uncovered in Kandharapur and Maharajganj. Three individuals were arrested by the police for persuading people to convert to Christianity by promising miraculous cures.
As mass conversion incidents have increased in the area, local authorities have intensified their efforts to crack down on such activities. Mishra and other Hindu leaders have demanded a thorough investigation into these incidents to prevent further occurrences.
