Masked men armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations, installations: report
\nnews agency
\nRaipur
\nChristmas celebrations turned sour for the Christian community in India after a violent mob attacked and vandalised decorations in Chhattisgarh\u2019s capital city of Raipur.
\nA mob armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations and installations at a mall on Wednesday, ahead of the festival, according to The Indian Express.
\nThe group \u2014 reportedly comprising 30 to 40 masked men \u2014 stormed the mall during a Chhattisgarh bandh called to protest alleged religious conversion-related violence in Kanker.
\nFootage of the incident showed suspects moving through the mall and tearing down decorations that had been put up ahead of the Christian festival.
\nPolice registered a first information report (FIR) based on a complaint from mall management against unidentified individuals following the incident, India Today reported.
\nIn another such incident, the Vishva Hindu Parishad Bajrang Dal vandalised a school during the Christmas preparations in Assam\u2019s Nalbari district.
\nMembers of the far-right party also torched and damaged festival items, while they also staged a protest against Christmas celebrations in Nalbari, according to a report by The Hindu.
\nLast month, a US report recommended designating India as a country of \u201cspecial concern\u201d due to religious prejudice and serious violations of religious freedom.
\nUS Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its report, exposed religious discrimination in India and extremist policies of the RSS and the BJP\u2019s Hindutva agenda.
\nThe report revealed that Modi and the BJP had implemented discriminatory policies against minorities in line with the Hindutva ideology.
\nIt added that the BJP, as the political wing of the RSS, promotes Hindu nationalism.
\nThe RSS has been involved for decades in violent acts against minorities, particularly Muslims and Sikhs.
\nMeanwhile, Christians across the world are celebrating Christmas with religious devotion and traditional celebrations, joining millions of believers worldwide in observing the festival.
\nIn Pakistan, prayer ceremonies were also held by the Christian community during the festival.
\nChurches in Karachi were decorated as security was tightened around them across the city. At St Patrick\u2019s Church in Saddar, the community marked the festival with enthusiasm.
\nIn Lahore, colourful celebrations began as soon as the clock struck 12 at night, with churches adorned with multicoloured lights for the occasion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Masked men armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations, installations: report news agency Raipur Christmas celebrations turned sour for the Christian community in India after a violent mob attacked and vandalised decorations in Chhattisgarh\u2019s capital city of Raipur. A mob armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations and installations at a mall on Wednesday, ahead […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-522041","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n