The political climate in Chhattisgarh has intensified after the state's Congress unit launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The opposition has accused the administration of openly encouraging hooliganism and mob violence. This accusation stems from a controversial incident where individuals arrested for vandalising Christmas decorations at a prominent Raipur mall were not only released on bail but were also given a celebratory public welcome.
From Jail to Jubilation: The Raipur Mall Vandalism Case
The core of the controversy dates back to December 24, 2025. On Christmas Eve, a large group associated with the Sarv Hindu Samaj stormed into the Magneto Mall in Raipur, the state capital. Armed with wooden sticks, the mob targeted festive installations, destroying statues of Santa Claus and snowmen. The protest was part of a state-wide bandh called by the group to oppose alleged religious conversions.
Following the incident, the Telibandha police took action. On December 27, they arrested six men and booked a minor under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges included rioting, unlawful assembly, causing hurt, and criminal trespass.
A Controversial Welcome and Political Backlash
The situation took a dramatic turn this week when the six accused were granted bail by a sessions court. Upon their release from Raipur jail on Thursday, they were greeted not with condemnation, but with celebration. Activists from the Bajrang Dal and Sarv Hindu Samaj welcomed them with garlands and chants of "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram." The group later organized a procession where the men were carried on shoulders. Social media reels from the outfit glorified the accused, labeling them "Hindu Tigers."
The Congress party was swift to condemn these events. Sushil Anand Shukla, the head of Congress communications in Chhattisgarh, stated that the grand welcome exposed the state government's tacit support for the violence. "The state government supported hooliganism. The incident brought shame," Shukla said, criticizing the administration for releasing the activists instead of taking stringent action.
He further connected the government's alleged inaction to the nearly 300 Bajrang Dal workers who blocked a major road outside the Telibandha police station for nine hours after the arrests, performing a 'havan' and chanting hymns. No First Information Report was filed regarding this blockade.
Defiance and National Echoes
In response to the criticism, Bajrang Dal state spokesperson Rishi Mishra defended the actions of the vandalism accused. He justified the mall attack by claiming the establishment remained open during the bandh call. "We vandalised the property for the violation of the bandh call. If someone calls us goons for holding the Hindu flag high, we are fine with it," Mishra stated. Regarding provocative slogans during the December 31 procession, he asserted there was nothing wrong as they pertained to the issue of conversions.
The incident has garnered national attention. Congress leader Dr. Shama Mohamed took to social media platform 'X' to draw parallels with other cases. "Rapists of Bilkis Bano were garlanded after their release... Now, the goons who vandalised Christmas celebrations... are being welcomed like heroes," she wrote, adding that the Christian community across India was watching.
The Chhattisgarh bandh itself was triggered by earlier clashes in Kanker district within the Bastar region over the burial of a person from a converted family. The Congress alleges that the entire sequence of events, from the vandalism to the celebratory release, has brought global shame to the state and reveals a disturbing pattern of state-patronised violence.
