Police crackdown on protests against church attacks in Delhi
Hundreds of Christians clashed with the Delhi Police today as they protested in the heart of the capital to ask for government protection amid growing concern about rising intolerance after a series of attacks on churches. The police has said some of these were not religiously motivated, but were cases of thefts, a claim rejected by Christian community leaders and priests.
Today, nuns, priests and children were pulled on to police buses as they tried to march from the Sacred Heart cathedral near parliament to the residence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The Home Minister tweeted that he later met Christian leaders to assure them he would not tolerate any discrimination. He added that he promised an independent investigation into the church attacks and said he has asked the police to ensure the security of churches and other places of worship.
"The police has done nothing and they have described the incidents as simple theft, burglary and trespassing. We told the Home Minister that these were not simple incidents but attack on our religious places," said community leader John Dayal after the meeting.
Political rivals have accused the ruling BJP of exploiting religious divisions in the run-up to this weekend's election in Delhi.
Five churches in the capital have reported incidents of arson, vandalism and burglary. The latest was reported on Monday when an individual stole ceremonial items.
In December, a Catholic church in east Delhi was gutted in a fire in a case of suspected arson.
© Thomson Reuters 2015