4 Brazilian nationals have been detained along with a pastor and his wife for trying to convert people in UP. They organised a mass conversion event in which 200 people participated. UP police have written to the embassy seeking to deport the Brazilians for violating the visa norms.
Police arrested 6 persons from Sitapur in UP including 4 Brazilian nationals after they received information about a protest against a mass conversion event in Shahbazpur. Local pastor David Asthana and his wife Rohini Asthana have been booked under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. But the Brazilian nationals have been detained at their hotel in Lucknow while police investigate their role in the matter.
The Brazilians who have been identified as Rivaldo Joses DaSilva, Magnolia Maro Laronzera, Gulheram Nasimento Edalgo and Alexander DaSilva, came to Bharat two months ago on tourist visas and one of them is a pastor. They participated in a religious event which locals allege was a mass conversion event of nearly 200 people violating the visa norms. They have been put under police security in their hotel and police have written to the embassy recommending their deportation.
Pastor David Asthana hails from Jaunpur and resides in Lucknow. He used to frequently visit Shahbazpur village for proselytisation. Police say that he purchased a property in the village 4 years ago and built a big hall there. Locals allege that he has been conducting meetings in the hall every Sunday by luring people with medicines and such necessities and brainwashing them to convert to Christianity.
On December 18, pastor David along with the Brazilian nationals had gathered more than 200 people in the hall for conversion. Locals protested against the event and informed police.
On December 21, Kamalkant Awasthi, a man from Sitapur village had filed a complaint against 3 people for forcibly converting Hindus. Awasthi came to notice that the trio had organised a “special prayer meeting” where the cross was passed to everyone and the participants were made to accept Christianity. Police reached the venue following his complaint.
The trio, Shrawan Kumar, Gangaram and Shrikesh tried to escape on seeing police but police were quick to nab them. Religious literature used to proselytize and convert people were seized from the venue and the three have been booked under UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
In November 2022, 6 missionaries were booked in Bareilly, UP for forcibly converting people and denigrating Hindu deities.
In October 2022, 9 missionaries were booked for forcibly converting ‘Dalit’ Hindus in Meerut. The FIR mentioned that around 400 people in the village were converted by the missionaries. They were lured with food and money during Covid-19 induced lockdown and were stopped from celebrating Deepavali. Missionaries tore and destroyed the images of Hindu deities to discourage the converts from praying to them.
