Clash over prayer meet in Bastar village, situation under control
Video of clash surfaces on social media
Jagdalpur | Correspondent: Tension has once again flared up between two communities in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh over a prayer gathering. On Sunday, April 26, in the village of Retawand, located within the jurisdiction of the Bhanpuri police station, a dispute between a pastor and local villagers escalated to the point of physical violence.
It is alleged that the villagers subjected the pastor to verbal abuse and physical assault; a video of the incident went viral on social media on Tuesday.
According to reports, a pastor hailing from Odisha had been residing in Retawand village with his family for some time. Local villagers accused him of engaging in religious preaching and proselytizing activities, an allegation that sparked a heated argument between the two parties on Sunday.
The dispute quickly turned violent, leading to shoving and physical altercations between the two groups.
Upon receiving information about the incident, a police team immediately rushed to the village and brought the situation under control. Bastar Superintendent of Police, Shalabh Sinha, stated that the dispute had arisen due to objections raised regarding prayer activities.
The police facilitated a dialogue between the two parties, bringing them together for discussions, which subsequently led to an amicable settlement between them. As a precautionary measure, the administration has also initiated preventive action against both parties. Currently, peace prevails in the area, and the police continue to maintain strict vigilance.
