A group of men carrying sticks barged into Raipur’s Magneto Mall and vandalised Christmas decorations, triggering outrage and renewing concerns over a string of disruptions and attacks linked to Christmas celebrations across the country in recent days. According to multiple reports, the mob entered the mall premises during a statewide shutdown in Chhattisgarh called by right-wing organisations over alleged religious conversions. Mall staff said the group was large - around 40–50 people and that security guards were unable to stop them as they moved through the property, damaging installations and targeting Christmas-themed items, including a Christmas tree and Santa Claus figures.
The incident caused losses running into “lakhs of rupees”, with the vandalism captured on CCTV and circulated widely on social media. Police have since begun identifying those involved using video footage, and local reports said an FIR has been registered against multiple people in connection with the ransacking. Witness accounts quoted in the media described the mob as aggressive, with some alleging the group shouted slogans and threatened employees while wrecking property. One report also claimed the attackers questioned people about their caste amid the chaos - an allegation that has added another layer of alarm to what was already being seen as a targeted assault on a religious festival’s public symbolism.
The Raipur episode comes at a time when Chhattisgarh has already been witnessing heightened tensions around faith-related allegations. Separately, the state saw violence in Kanker district earlier this month linked to a burial dispute, during which a prayer hall was vandalised and police personnel were injured - an incident now being cited as part of a broader atmosphere of polarisation.
A wider pattern of disruptions reported
Over the past week, Christmas gatherings and public festivities have faced interruptions in other parts of India as well.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, a video showed a BJP district vice president allegedly harassing and abusing a visually impaired woman during a Christmas-related programme, with the woman later recounting the abuse and seeking police action. The episode drew sharp political reactions and added to claims of growing hostility around Christmas events.
In Delhi, a separate viral video showed a confrontation involving women and children wearing Santa hats. While several groups and media reports alleged right-wing members targeted revellers and accused them of “conversion”, Delhi Police issued a clarification saying it was a brief verbal dispute with no communal angle and that no complaint was filed.
Opposition leaders and civil society voices have condemned the incidents, arguing that public celebrations are increasingly being policed by mobs rather than protected by authorities. In Chhattisgarh, political leaders have also alleged that the bandh saw intimidation and vandalism in multiple locations, with Raipur’s mall incident becoming the most visible flashpoint. Raipur SHO Avinash Singh said a group of 30 to 40 people, with their faces covered, arrived at the mall and vandalised the decorations before fleeing.
“Around 2 PM yesterday, preparations for Christmas decorations were underway at Magneto Mall. At that time, 30 to 40 unknown individuals, with their faces covered, arrived and damaged the decorations. A complaint has been received from the Magneto Mall management, based on which a case has been registered against 30 to 40 people. We have obtained CCTV footage and vehicle registration numbers, based on which the accused will be identified and further action will be taken. The investigation is ongoing. An FIR has been registered under various sections of the BNS related to vandalism, unlawful assembly, and forcibly entering the mall. The accused are being identified based on the CCTV footage and vehicle numbers we have obtained. Arrests will be made soon,” Singh said.
