In a shocking incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district, BJP city vice president Anju Bhargava was captured on video physically assaulting and verbally abusing a visually impaired woman at a church in Hawa Bagh on Saturday, accusing her of facilitating religious conversions during a Christmas lunch for children.
The footage went viral on Monday after Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared it on X, branding it as societal cruelty emblematic of BJP advancement tactics, while the victim pleaded for civil dialogue and denied any conversion inducements, amid no formal complaints, BJP silence, or police action as of December 23, against the backdrop of recent communal clashes.
Viral Video Ignites Public Fury
The disturbing video, which surfaced on social media platforms and rapidly gained traction, shows Anju Bhargava, the recently appointed vice president of BJP’s Jabalpur city unit, confronting the visually impaired woman in the church premises under Gorakhpur police station jurisdiction.
Bhargava is seen grabbing the woman’s face forcefully, twisting her arms, and unleashing a barrage of abuses, repeatedly alleging that the woman was engaged in “dhandha” or business through religious conversions, exploiting vulnerable children attending the event.
Despite a policeman standing idly by, the woman maintained composure, urging Bhargava to “speak properly, talk with words, don’t get physical,” highlighting her plea for non-violent resolution amid the aggression.
Bhargava’s retort escalated the cruelty, declaring the woman would remain “blind in this life and the next,” a remark that has since drawn widespread revulsion for its insensitivity towards disability.
Supriya Shrinate, Congress national chairperson, amplified the clip on X, stating: “The woman who is physically assaulting the visually impaired woman is Anju Bhargava, the BJP’s district vice president of Jabalpur.
This cruelty is the easiest way to advance in the BJP. These people are stains on society,” fuelling political discourse and calls for accountability.
Escalating Tensions in Jabalpur’s Communal Landscape
This episode unfolds against a tense backdrop of successive communal flare-ups in Jabalpur district, where allegations of religious conversions by Christian missionaries have repeatedly incited right-wing groups.
Just prior on Saturday, members of Hindu Raksha Dal and Bajrang Dal stormed the same Hawabagh church during the Christmas lunch organised for visually impaired children, halting proceedings over claims that unapproved student attendance masked conversion activities; the children themselves refuted any coercion, insisting their participation was voluntary for a community meal.
The following day, Sunday, saw another confrontation in Shakti Nagar, where right-wing activists alleged missionary-led prayers involved inducements for conversions, leading to a skirmish that police dispersed by detaining several youths, though no formal complaints were registered in either instance.
Eyewitness accounts describe Bhargava arriving with a group from these outfits, intensifying the standoff as worshippers felt intimidated ahead of Christmas celebrations.
Local authorities have initiated probes into the church organisers’ activities, but as of the latest updates on December 23, no FIR has been filed against Bhargava, and BJP leadership has issued no public response or disciplinary action, leaving the visually impaired woman without recourse and the community on edge.
These events underscore a pattern where unverified accusations trigger immediate vigilantism, sidelining due process and amplifying divisions in a region already grappling with religious sensitivities.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Incidents like this starkly betray the principles of empathy, kindness, and harmonious coexistence that form the bedrock of India’s diverse society, substituting measured dialogue with raw aggression against the most defenceless among us.
When leaders, entrusted with public responsibility, resort to physical and verbal violence especially targeting a visually impaired woman fulfilling a charitable role they not only inflict personal harm but erode communal trust, emboldening a cycle of intolerance that threatens social fabric.
True progress demands upholding the rights of the differently-abled, prioritising investigations over instant justice, and fostering peace through understanding rather than division via dogma. The absence of swift condemnation from BJP or police action further questions institutional commitments to justice and humanity.
