The Indian Express reported that on Wednesday, the day before Christmas, activists from the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad broke into a diocese-run school in Nalbari town, Assam, and smashed the Christmas decorations.
Bibekananda Das, Senior Superintendent of Police in Nalbari, told IE that the same group also damaged holiday merchandise that was being sold at a nearby store. Santa masks and caps that were being sold at the store were set on fire.
According to the SSP, the administration of St. Mary's English School in Panigaon has officially complained about the event. According to Father James Vadakeyil of the Bongaigaon Diocese, which oversees the school, the campus was closed for the winter break, therefore it was vacant at the time of the event.
He claimed that the group showed there at about 3 p.m. and sought to speak with the principal, but they departed when they discovered he wasn't there.
The nativity crib and other Christmas decorations were then broken as they roamed the campus. Additionally, a sizable admissions banner was destroyed.
The group yelled "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hindu Rashtra" as they tore apart the decorations and lit them on fire. By Thursday night, the police had arrested four individuals. Criminal intimidation, unlawful entry, property damage, and causing mischief by lighting things on fire are among the charges.
Bhaskar Deka, the district secretary of the VHP; Manash Jyoti Patgiri, its district vice-president; Biju Dutta, an assistant secretary; and Nayan Talukdar, the district convener of the Bajrang Dal, are among those detained, according to the Nalbari district government.
Similar instances were recorded from Rajasthan, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, and MP. On the day that the vandalism in Assam was reported, a group of people with sticks broke into Magneto Mall in Chhattisgarh and vandalized the Christmas displays and decorations there as well.
The incident occurred during the Sarva Hindu Samaj's day-long stoppage in protest of purported religious conversions. A large group of about 80 to 90 people stormed inside and started damaging property, a mall employee told IE.
No arrests have yet been made, according to police, although a formal case has been filed. According to the Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police, officers are still looking for individuals responsible.
Anju Bhargava, the vice-president of the BJP in the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, is accused of shoving and abusing a visually impaired woman who visited a church on Saturday in the Katanga area.
The children were allegedly being converted to Christianity, according to Bhargava. In this situation, police have not yet filed a case.
However, party city president Rakesh Sonkar told IE that Bhargava received a warning from the BJP's Jabalpur unit requesting an explanation of her activities within seven days.
Later on, the woman clarified that she had not altered her religion by participating in Christmas celebrations. Another incident was reported in Jabalpur on Sunday morning when members of a right-wing group disrupted a church prayer service in the Madhotal district.
Hindu Seva Parishad members reported that they had learned of a sizable assembly at the church, which included residents of neighboring regions. When conflicts started, they said they were investigating whether any religious conversions were occurring.
However, attendees reported that between 15 and 20 guys abruptly entered the chapel during prayers, shouted slogans, and frightened everyone.
According to the police, a number of young males were arrested for disrupting the peace. In order to piece together the specifics of what transpired, officers are currently speaking with individuals on both sides.
According to IE, the education department in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan instructed schools not to "force" pupils to dress like Santa Claus for Christmas.
According to a December 22 ruling, the Bharat Tibet Sahayog Manch had written to the department, noting out that for the previous few years, the district's schools had been requesting that kids dress up as Santa. Hindu and Sikh communities make up the majority in Sri Ganganagar, according to the letter.
There aren't many Christian families in the area, according to the order. It stated that it is inappropriate to hold such programs in schools and put pressure on kids in this situation.
The department further stated that the guidelines will be followed if any school is discovered to be requiring children to dress as Santa on Christmas.
On Monday, a second video from Delhi surfaced, depicting a group of women in Lajpat Nagar who were verbally abused while donning Santa Claus crowns.
According to IE, the guys in the video, who were purportedly associated with the Bajrang Dal, urged the women to leave the area and accused them of attempting to preach religion.
No formal complaint was filed in the instance, according to the police. They characterized the event as a quick verbal altercation.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police for South East Delhi claims that the conflict was resolved amicably and did not escalate into violence.
According to first investigations, it appeared to be a singular personal disagreement rather than a component of a bigger problem.
