The controversy over alleged conversion by Christian evangelists in the restive Bastar region has now been snowballed into a full-blown political war between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP.

The BJP sees the role of the international Church network behind the Baghel government’s unprecedented move to invoke National Security Act (NSA) across the state. A group of saffron leader, a rare sight, alleged on Sunday that the Congress government is becoming a tool in the hands of the international network of church for votes.

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Addressing a press conference, BJP state president Arun Sao, national vice-president and former chief minister Dr. Raman Singh slammed the Congress Government for invoking the NSA which, they stressed, is once again a conspiracy to spur communal appeasement and religious conversions in the state.

“Congress is clearly working on the agenda of appeasement and conversion in Chhattisgarh and in directly misusing its authority in favour of conversion at the behest of missionaries,” BJP leaders accused.

Claiming that the government has surrendered to the missionaries, BJP leaders contended that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s explanation to the church leaders in Delhi recently is proof of this. The reason why Baghel had to mollify church leaders, BJP asserted, is clear that favouritism is being done under the pressure of Sonia Gandhi.

The saffron party went on to accuse the CM of a conspiracy to crush tribal culture. The saffron leaders are of the view that he wants the tribal culture to end and the tribal society to convert to the Christian faith.

They also claimed to have smelt a well-planned template especially prepared for fragmentation and class struggle in the tribal society by the Congress government through religious conversions.

In an unprecedented gesture, with no apparent history of communal violence in the state, the Baghel Government invoked the NSA on January 3 in 31 districts in the aftermath of clashes between tribals and tribal converts. The unrest in Bastar had been simmering for quite a long time over mass-scale religious conversion by Christian missionaries.

The state government notification invoking NSA states that there were reports that certain elements were a threat to communal harmony, public order, and security of the state. Section 3 of the NSA Act 1980, however, doesn’t count communal harmony as a reason to detain a person.

Alleging that the NSA was being invoked to crush the struggle of tribals engaged in saving their culture, BJP veterans affirmed that arrangements have been made to put them in jail without any reason.

Continuing their tirade, the saffron leaders argued that the NSA was also being misused to suppress widespread opposition and discontent against the government.

The government paid no heed to the warnings of Sukma SP and the Commissioner of Bastar against the Christian missionaries, but now the Congress seems to be upset when the tribals have stood up to save their culture, BJP heavyweights said.