Closed Raipur mall faces fringe fury on Christmas Day

Raipur: A group of stick-wielding members of a fringe outfit stormed a mall in Raipur during the Chhattisgarh shutdown against the violence over the Kanker burial row and alleged religious conversions, on Wednesday, vandalising property, targeting gilded Christmas decorations and damaging the Christmas tree and a Santa Claus figure installed at the popular shopping and recreational centre. The vandalism unfolded despite the mall being officially closed in support of the bandh, the mall management said, adding that they have suffered losses running into lakhs due to the violent protests and ransacking.According to the mall management, the group of 40-50 people was aggressive and violent, as they ran around the mall holding rods and hockey sticks, allegedly asking staff and others inside, "Are you Hindu or Christian? What is your caste?" They were even checking ID cards and badges of staffers, officials said.Capital police have registered an FIR on Thursday, based on a complaint lodged by Magneto Mall against 25-30 ‘right-wing activists' under several relevant sections of the BNS, for voluntarily causing hurt, unlawful assembling at a point, general rioting and mischief. Raipur SSP Lal Umed Singh told TOI that the matter was being taken seriously, adding that the police have identified few people involved in the incident and strict action will follow. He said the decorations for Christmas and New Year, done by the mall outside and inside, lay in absolute tatters after the vandals broke in. Police said CCTV footage from the mall clearly captured a group entering with sticks and creating a ruckus. The video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra to share it, questioning, "Why is the VHP obsessed with poking its nose into every festival? The VHP should be banned in India before anything else."CCTV grabs showed a group of around 30–40 youths entering the premises together, some carrying sticks, and moving around the mall as chaos broke out. An eyewitness told TOI, "We were scared we might get beaten. By the time police arrived, a lot of decorative items and property had already been damaged. More than anything else, it created an atmosphere of fear. Can't we celebrate the winter festival now?" Mall management estimated the losses from the wanton vandalism at between ₹15–20 lakh, saying Christmas decorations, display items and fixtures were smashed to bits. Images from inside showed a Christmas tree and festive installations torn down and scattered.Following the vandalism at Magneto Mall, authorities evacuated the Ambuja Mall on Vidhan Sabha road as a precaution. Police cleared visitors and turned back those arriving in the evening. The incident has raised serious concerns over law and order during the shutdown, which drew support from right-wing organisations and business bodies as they linked it to the recent Amabeda violence in Kanker district. While the Chhattisgarh ‘bandh' also saw spontaneous support from the chamber of commerce and traders, among others, fringe elements were all over the place in towns and cities, forcing even vegetable vendors to wind up.