Hindu group disrupts Christmas meet in Pataudi, allege conversion bid
A video shared on social media showed some persons chanting Jai Shri Ram at the meeting on the occasion of Christmas in Gurugram’s Pataudi. No police complaint has been lodged by any group.
A Christmas congregation at a primary school in Pataudi in Haryana’s Gurugram district was disrupted by a Hindu group claiming that the gathering was an attempt at religious conversion.
Visitors throng Ambiance Mall on Christmas , in Gurugram on Saturday. A right-wing Hindu group allegedly disrupted a Christmas meet in a local school at Gurugram’s Pataudi. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)
A video shared on social media showed some persons chanting Jai Shri Ram at the Christian meeting while a man snatched the microphone from a woman signing a devotional song. Police made no arrests, saying no complaint was made.
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The House of Hope, a social organisation, organized a Christmas Milan at a private school in Pataudi to celebrate the day through song, dance and teachings of the Bible, local residents said on condition of anonymity. Children and women had gathered for the event, when a group of men barged inside the hall and stopped the programme, they said.
“Two days ago, some women reached out to residents and invited them for the Christmas programme,” said RP Pandey, president of Dharam Jagriti Mission, the Hindu organisation. “Through songs and prayer, they promote their religion and pollute the minds of children about sanatan dharma.”
The programme was an attempt to lure the poor and convert them to Christianity, Pandey alleged.
The event was organised in his “personal capacity” by a local resident, who is a member of the House of Hope, the pastor of the organisation said, asking not to be named. “We were present when this unfortunate incident took place,” he said. “They started shouting slogans and stopped the event.”
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“We are not going to file any complaint,” the pastor said, also requesting that the name of the school is not revealed.
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“We are not going to file any complaint,” the pastor said, also requesting that the name of the school is not revealed.
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Police have not received any complaint from any group, said inspector Shailender Kumar, station house officer of Pataudi police station.
The incident comes on the heels of regular disruption of Friday prayers by Muslims by Hindu groups in Gurugram.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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