To exercise their constitutional rights, the villagers of Yadgarpalli Gram Panchayat have formally petitioned the District Collector of Medchal-Malkajgiri District, seeking an injunction against the illegal construction of a Christian Prayer Hall in their village. The petition, submitted on 1 August 2024, asserts that the construction is part of a conspiracy to incite unrest and promote religious conversions in a town with no Christian population.
Yadgarpalli, a peaceful village in Keesara Mandal, has a population of approximately 5,000, all adhering to the Hindu faith. The villagers have expressed concerns that the construction of the Christian Prayer Hall, initiated by a Christian pastor named Banoth Israel Naik, is an attempt to convert residents, particularly those from the Scheduled Caste community.
According to the petition, Naik began building the prayer hall at plots nos 48 and 49 of Survey No. 243 without securing the necessary permissions from the Gram Panchayat. Furthermore, he is not a resident or native of Yadgarpalli. The petitioners allege that Naik has also violated noise pollution guidelines by using loudspeakers, disregarding regulations set by the Supreme Court of India.
The villagers argue that the prayer hall serves no practical purpose for the community, which does not benefit from the establishment in terms of village development or employment opportunities. They have repeatedly voiced their objections to the Gram Panchayat, culminating in formal complaints on 2 October 2021 and subsequent resolutions passed during Gram Sabha meetings on 2 October 2021 and 18 June 2022.
The resolutions, passed by an overwhelming majority, explicitly oppose the prayer hall’s construction and the facility’s continued operation without proper permissions. The Panchayat Secretary officially recorded these resolutions in the Minutes Book.
The villagers’ petition underscores their belief that the project is a deliberate attempt to disrupt the harmony of their community and urges the District Collector to respect the local governance decisions and halt the construction of the prayer hall. The ongoing dispute reflects broader tensions regarding religious and cultural practices in the region, and the villagers are calling for immediate action to preserve their community’s peaceful coexistence and autonomy.
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