By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 16 March 2015: The National Commission for Minorities was on Monday approached over series of attacks on churches in Delhi in the last few months and the latest one in Haryana. The NCM has been urged to seek a reply and explanation from the state government of Haryana and Central Government on their “failure to provide adequate security” to churches and other religious institutions belonging to minority communities.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs must immediately direct all state governments to provide adequate protection to all such institutions against right wing zealots,” demanded law activist Shehzad Poonawalla in his petition to the NCM.
The Christian community in Delhi has alleged the involvement of saffron groups in the series of attacks on churches in the national capital and the surrounding areas.
An under-construction church was damaged in Kaimri village in Hisar district of Haryana earlier this month. The idol of a Hindu god was placed inside the premises of the church. The police later took away the Hanuman idol and a red-coloured flag related to Lord Ram from the premises to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. The church priest told media that certain activists of the Bajrang Dal and others had threatened him earlier. He alleged that the same people could be behind the attack on the church. “I was threatened by Bajrang Dal activists and other locals last month,” the priest, Subhash Chand was quoted as saying by IANS. Haryana has a BJP government since October last year.
“Today, it seems that wilful denial exists within the central and state government of Haryana, that is responsible for law and order in Delhi and Haryana respectively even as the seventh Christian institution faces an attack in just four months. The last attack was on the the Holy Child Auxilium School located in South Delhi,” wrote Poonawalla.
He appealed to the minority panel to direct the state government of Haryana and Central government to conclude its probe into the series of attacks on churches and bring the guilty to book at the earliest in every such instance.
Meanwhile, media reports say the Haryana Police have booked 14 people for rioting, damaging place of worship, theft and promoting enmity following a complaint lodged by the church priest on 13th March.
