AHMEDABAD, April 21— Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal stormed an Easter congregation in Ahmedabad’s Odhav locality on Sunday morning, alleging that religious conversions were underway.
The group interrupted prayers, questioned attendees about their faith, and chanted “Jai Shree Ram” while wielding sticks, as seen in widely circulated videos.
Around 100 people had gathered at a private hall to mark the Christian festival.
Police were called to the scene and later took representatives from both groups to the Odhav police station for inquiry.
“Both sides have filed complaints, and the matter is under investigation,” said a police official.
However, Inspector P.N. Zinzuvadia told The Indian Express that no evidence supporting the conversion claim had been found so far.
Congress leaders, including spokesperson Shama Mohamed, condemned the incident on social media, calling it an attack on religious freedom.
“Storming a peaceful prayer meet is unacceptable,” Mohamed wrote while sharing videos of the disruption.
According to data released by the United Christian Forum (UCF), 834 such incidents have been reported in 2024 alone — up from 734 in the entire previous year.
Easter is one of the most important and sacred holidays in Christianity. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which, according to Christian belief, occurred on the third day after his crucifixion by the Romans.
Easter marks the culmination of the Passion of Jesus, preceded by Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
The date of Easter changes every year and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox—usually falling between March 22 and April 25.
For Christians, Easter symbolizes hope, renewal, and victory over sin and death. Many observe it with church services, prayers, music, and gatherings, while some cultures also include secular traditions like Easter eggs and festive meals.