Religious conversion fear sparks row in Surat village; similar incident in Tapi

Surat: A Christmas gathering in Aamchak village of Mahuva taluka became the cause of tension after locals alleged that religious preaching was carried out during the gathering.

According to police, on the night of December 25, a resident of Aamchak village set up a tent outside his house, where a man from a neighboring village allegedly delivered a religious speech, prompting villagers to notify leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Mahuva police.

However, the situation was brought under control through police intervention, and everyone returned to their homes without any formal complaint being filed.

In another similar incident in Songadh town of Tapi, a group of young people was allegedly distributing pamphlets and religious books. After some time, one of them began preaching through a microphone, which was objected to by several locals, after which the preacher left the area.

When notified, the local police called the youth to the station on Friday, but it was learned that he and his group had left for Mumbai on Thursday night. The police stated that the situation in town is peaceful, and no complaint has been filed.

It is noteworthy that both areas fall under the tribal belt, where rampant religious conversion has been occurring, leading to uneasiness among the locals about such preaching events. DeshGujarat