Pastor Janmajaya Bhattarai continues in police custody on costs of evangelising schoolchildren throughout a Christmas present distribution. “Advocacy efforts are occurring,” stated BP Khanal, Lead Commissioner, Non secular Liberty Fee Nepal Christian Society, Kathmandu, Nepal, whereas talking to Christian At this time. “However, evidently the efforts are failing because of the biasness and stereotype in opposition to the Christian group within the nation,” he added.
Bhattarai was arrested on 24 December 2024 – Christmas Eve – from his residence in Lamki-Chuha Municipality, Kailali, at roughly 7 a.m. The pastor has been taken to Kailali District Courtroom the place his case awaits listening to.
The arrest stems from a charitable occasion on 18 December when Bhattarai and his group distributed 30 luggage and clothes gadgets to underprivileged college students at Sahid Smriti Madhyamik Vidhyalaya. This gift-giving follow has been a Christmas custom for the pastor over a number of years, performed on the written request of native faculties together with Shree Bal Kalyan Secondary Faculty and Shaheed Smriti Madhyamik Vidhyalaya.
The scenario escalated after Bhattarai broadcast the occasion on his Fb web page, drawing consideration from spiritual extremists. Subsequently, the Faculty Administration Committee questioned the principal, who then held a press convention accusing the pastor of evangelising college students in opposition to their directions.
Ganesh Dhakal, Chairman of the Faculty Administration Committee, claimed that they verbally objected to spiritual preaching through the occasion and later submitted a written objection on 24 December. Their press launch states that whereas Bhattarai had been granted a 15-minute window to distribute items, he allegedly used the chance to share Christmas greetings and spiritual messages, which they consider broken the college’s status.
In response, a number of Christian organisations – together with the Nepal Nationwide Christian Society, Lamkichuha Nagar Christian Society, and Lamkichuha Nagar Jawan Samiti – issued a joint assertion categorically denying the accusations. “The only real goal of this work is to assist the economically weaker sections of society. Portraying it as spiritual propaganda is fallacious and deceptive,” the assertion reads.
Pastor Chandra Bahadur Thapa, President of the Nepal Nationwide Christian Society, referred to as the allegations “fully false and baseless,” stating: “No spiritual sermons or Bibles had been preached through the instructional materials distribution program.”
Niroj Tolange, Basic Secretary of the Christian Journalist Fellowship Nepal and spiritual freedom activist, has referred to as the arrest “a mockery of secularism” and demanded the quick launch of Pastor Bhattarai. In the meantime, Christian group representatives have identified that Hindu spiritual leaders often go to faculties to discuss their religion with out dealing with related penalties.
Pastor Bhattarai at present stays in police custody at Kailali District Courtroom awaiting his listening to. Christian organisations proceed to take care of that the present distribution was performed solely as humanitarian help following formal written invites from the colleges themselves.
