Slum dwellers in Agra have alleged that they were approached by missionaries who tried to lure them to convert to Christianity by offering a house, better lifestyle and education for their children. They also alleged that the said people even tried to drug them by offering a “Samosa”, after eating which they started feeling dizzy. The residents reside at Sector-4 Awas Vikas Colony, in the city’s Jagdish Pura area.
While this episode was playing out, a bystander noticed this exercise and decided to intervene. During the resulting chaos, the “Father” in question quickly changed his clothes to possibly go incognito.
Later the police were called in and as per the SP of Agra City, they have received a complaint and the matter is being probed. While on one hand it is being alleged that the missionaries were carrying out religious conversions, the accused in the matter have claimed that they were carrying out awareness about Women’s day. An official complaint though hasn’t yet been filed.
Even though via many accounts, religious conversions by missionaries has been flourishing since long, the cases as such have started to find popular mention in recent days.
It was reported in December that the Madhya Pradesh police had arrested a Catholic priest and detained 40 others, over accusations of them forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. The man who made the complaint alleged that he was converted to Christianity by being offered money. It was also alleged that one of the fathers present in the group also asked villagers to take holy dips in the pond and embrace Christianity.
It was also reported how the Mathura police had arrested 7 Christian preachers after they were accused of carrying out forced conversions in a UP village. These preachers were alleged to have distributed Bibles among the citizens and even allegedly started insulting other deities while praying at one of the villager’s house.
An Andhra couple too was arrested for attempting to convert Tribals to Christianity. Back then the police rescued nine kids aged below 14 years of age from the couple, who allegedly were teaching the kids about the Christian faith, under the guise of running an orphanage and old age home.