MP: VHP, Bajrang Dal vandalise school alleging conversions of 8 students

The SDOP said, “The members of the different organisations, including VHP and Bajrang Dal, had announced to hold a protest against an alleged conversion of eight children at St Joseph School, Ganjbasoda, on October 31 after a video and news of the conversion of eight students went viral on social media.”

Updated on: Dec 7, 2021, 07:20:39 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal on Monday vandalised a missionary school in Ganjbasoda area of Vidisha following a video showing a prayer meeting being held and news of alleged conversion of eight children in the school went viral on social media, the police said.

Police registered a case against four identified VHP members and 50 unidentified members of Bajrang Dal. (Representative use)

Police registered a case against four identified VHP members and 50 unidentified members of Bajrang Dal under section 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon) and 427 (causing damage to the amount more than ₹50) of Indian Penal Code, said BB Sharma, sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP), Ganjbasoda, Vidisha. Four identified persons have been detained by the police.

The SDOP said, “The members of the different organisations, including VHP and Bajrang Dal, had announced to hold a protest against an alleged conversion of eight children at St Joseph School. On Monday, people handed over a memorandum to sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and later, the mob turned violent and pelted the school premises with stones.”

VHP regional president Rajesh Tiwari said, “The members of VHP and Bajrang Dal were holding peaceful protest but anti-social elements joined in and created ruckus.”

The Saint Joseph church denied all allegations. “This fake news was spread by some Youtube channel. The news of holy communion of eight Catholic children was circulated as the conversion of Hindu children.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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