ABVP Protest at Raigarh Catholic School Sparks Tension Over Conversion Allegations

Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, July 9, 2026: Tension prevailed at St. Xavier's English Medium School in Boirdadar, Raigarh, after members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), accompanied by local police personnel, entered the school campus during class hours on July 7 and staged a protest over alleged religious conversion activities.

Witnesses said the protesters raised slogans of "Jai Shree Ram" inside the campus, disrupting regular classes and creating anxiety among students and staff. Police personnel were present at the scene to maintain law and order as the protest unfolded.

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The ABVP accused the school of promoting religious conversion in classrooms. However, the school administration strongly denied the allegation, describing it as baseless and fabricated.

According to school authorities, the controversy arose from a routine classroom interaction in which the principal briefly explained the historical background of Saint Francis Xavier, after whom the institution is named. The school maintained that the explanation was purely educational and intended to provide students with historical context about the school's patron.

School officials alleged that the classroom discussion was taken out of context and used to fuel allegations of religious conversion. They expressed concern that the protest disrupted the academic environment and caused unnecessary distress to students.

The management reaffirmed the institution's commitment to providing secular and value-based education in accordance with the law. It also appealed to outside groups to refrain from actions that could disrupt the learning environment or compromise the safety and well-being of students.

By Catholic Connect Reporter