It also carried the picture of the collector without any mention about her name or post. The social media post against which the school management filed a complaint alleged that ‘ the Nilgiris district was becoming a hub for various anti-social activities, including deforestation and illegal money transactions through NGOs.
The Hindu reported that she further said “journalists of ‘non-accredited’ news publications and posts on social media, had wrongly accused her of irregularities in granting building permissions”.ĭC Innocent Divya has been accused of granting license to Good Shepherd International School for construction of a 5000 sq.ft building for an amount of Rs. She informed that she has filed a case with the cyber crime police. The collector called a press conference to deny the charge that she is backing missionaries and warned of legal action against those who spread ‘misinformation’ about her or the district administration.
Moreover, Hindus in the video can be heard saying that it has become difficult for them to obtain permission for public meetings/rallies and face restrictions because of missionaries’ influence on authorities. The Pentecostals claim to be dismayed that the couple was forced to apply Vibhuti, allegedly ‘insulting their religious beliefs and demeaning their religion’. They have threatened to protest with help from other minority organisations if the district administration fails to arrest Hindu Munnani people they claim to be behind the act of stopping proselytisation. The Synod of Pentecostal churches, a radical Protestant group known for hate-mongering proselytisation, gathered in support of the pastor and complained to the District Collector. Since the couple were distributing religious material and preaching, the men asked them to apply Vibhuti in return. A passer by woman says, “ Do we (Hindus) come to your houses asking you to convert? Why are you doing this?” One man asks whether it’s the District collector or the Superintendent of Police that gave permission and alleges that as the collector is a Christian she might have done so. In a video going viral on social media, locals are seen arguing as to who gave permission to the duo to go house by house in a Hindu majority area to distribute Christian pamphlets & preaching the gospel. They were asked to not to do proselytization in a Hindu majority area and instead go to churches, prayer halls and Christian houses. A couple, pastor Leo Johnson and his wife Jenifa Johnson, were confronted by Hindus when they were distributing Christian tracts in Bombay Castle area, Ooty. Missionary activities have allegedly increased in Ooty with the support of the Nilgiris District Collector Smt.