39 tribal Christians re-converted to Hinduism in Bastar: BJP MP

 As many as 39 tribal Christians were re-converted to Hinduism in the Naxal-hit Bastar district of Chhattisgarh in October this year, a BJP MP on Saturday said.

The event, organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal at Madhota Village, was attended by Bastar MP Dinesh Kashyap. "In the month of October, VHP brought back to Hinduism 39 tribals who had adopted Christianity. I attended the event," Kashyap said over telephone. He said there was no forced conversion.

He claimed that Christian missionaries in Bastar district have converted a large number of tribals. The tribals had told VHP that they wanted to come back to Hinduism so the re-conversion was organised, he claimed.

Bastar SP Ajay Yadav said an argument took place between the two groups on October 25 in Madhota Village and both the sides had registered complaints. Yadav said, "Sometime before the incident, we had received information that some tribals who had embraced Christianity were re-converted to Hinduism." But till now no complaint has been registered by any of the tribals who were re-converted, he said.