After Karnataka witnessed attacks on churches and prayer halls in the last few months, few right-wing activists allegedly engaged in a verbal duel with the management of a Christian convent in Mandya district over the celebration of Christmas in a school here.
The Christmas celebrations at the Nirmala English High School in Pandavapura, a town in Mandya district about 160 kms from Bengaluru, was allegedly interrupted by a group of Hindu Jagarana Vedike activists on Thursday. A video of the incident has been widely shared on social media.
In the video, few men can be seen engaged in a verbal spat with the management over Christmas celebrations at the school. They also questioned the school authorities, why Hindu festivals like Ganesha festival were not being celebrated.
This was the second attack on the day when Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed the anti-conversion bill.
According to management of the school, a group of right-wing activists barged into the institution and began questioning the school management for being selectively celebrating festivals like Christmas.
Headmistress of the school, Kanika Francis Mary said, “A few people, claiming to be members of a right-wing group, came to the institution and objected to the celebration of Christmas and asked us to celebrate Ganesha festival and hang a photo of Goddess Saraswathi in the school. They also made allegation against us that we are converting students which is not true.”
“Would you be okay if we hang a photo of Goddess Saraswathi in the institution and celebrate Ganesh Chathurthi festival in the school premises,” one of the activists is heard saying in the video.
The school management further said that they will be filing a complaint with the Mandya police.
However, no complaint has been registered so far against anyone in the incident, police said.