This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/14/world/asia/indian-prime-minister-voices-concern-about-targeting-of-churches.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Indian Prime Minister Voices Concern About Targeting of Churches Indian Prime Minister Voices Concern About Targeting of Churches
(about 5 hours later)
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India summoned the police commissioner of the Delhi region on Friday to express his concern about a series of episodes of what appeared to be vandalism at churches in New Delhi and to instruct the police to investigate the cases, the commissioner said. NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India expressed concern on Friday about a series of episodes at Roman Catholic churches in New Delhi that have raised fears among Catholics here about a deliberate campaign of violence.
The latest suspicious incident, what appeared to be a robbery at a Catholic girls’ school in the capital, was reported Friday morning. Mr. Modi's remarks, his first on the matter, came after President Obama called for religious tolerance during a visit to India last month.
“He expressed his deep worry about the past few incidents in which a church had caught fire and the rest of such incidents,” the commissioner, B.S. Bassi, said in televised remarks. The latest suspicious incident, what appeared to be a robbery at a Catholic girls’ school in the capital, was reported on Friday morning. At least five Catholic churches in and around Delhi have reported various attacks, including suspected arson, burglary, vandalism and stone throwing.
“He has instructed me that the Delhi police must take effective measures so that people who commit such incidents are caught, and apart from that, such incidents are not repeated,” Mr. Bassi said. An official statement from Mr. Modi’s office did not explicitly mention the episodes at churches, which began in December. Instead, the prime minister expressed his “deep concern and anguish” over the rising crime rate in Delhi. At a meeting on Friday, he asked his police commissioner, B.S. Bassi, to investigate the incidents of vandalism.
An official statement from Mr. Modi’s office did not explicitly mention the episodes at churches, which began in December. Instead, the prime minister expressed his “deep concern and anguish” over the rising crime rate in Delhi, and asked Mr. Bassi to speedily investigate incidents of vandalism. “He has instructed me that the Delhi police must take effective measures so that people who commit such incidents are caught and, apart from that, such incidents are not repeated,” Mr. Bassi said.
Mr. Modi’s message was an eagerly awaited, if indirect, acknowledgment for Christian leaders who have feared they will come under pressure from right-wing Hindu activists since the election victory of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party last May and who have been agitating for his response to the episodes at churches. Some Christian leaders have speculated that the cases were part of a coordinated attempt by right-wing Hindu groups to intimidate India’s Christian minority, which makes up about 2 percent of the population. Mr. Modi’s message was an eagerly awaited, if indirect, acknowledgment for Christian leaders who have feared pressure from right-wing Hindu activists since the election victory of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party last May.
Mr. Modi has faced strong criticism from opposition leaders for his reticence to condemn statements made by a right-wing Hindu group promoting conversions of Christians to Hinduism. During a visit to India in January, President Obama urged religious tolerance. Some Christian leaders and human rights advocates have speculated that the cases were part of a coordinated attempt by right-wing Hindu groups to intimidate India’s Christian minority, which makes up about 2 percent of the population.
Mr. Modi has faced strong criticism from opposition leaders for his reticence to explicitly condemn statements by a right-wing Hindu group promoting conversions of Christians to Hinduism.
The announcement of the prime minister’s meeting with the police commissioner came after reports on Friday of the episode at the Holy Child Auxilium School in Delhi. Sister Lucy John, the school principal, said that 12,000 rupees, a little less than $200, had been stolen from the school and that no religious items had been touched.The announcement of the prime minister’s meeting with the police commissioner came after reports on Friday of the episode at the Holy Child Auxilium School in Delhi. Sister Lucy John, the school principal, said that 12,000 rupees, a little less than $200, had been stolen from the school and that no religious items had been touched.
“We are certainly grateful that the P.M. has finally broken his silence and invited the police commissioner,” said the Rev. Dominic Emmanuel, a spokesman for the Delhi archdiocese. “We had been always hoping right from the first attack onwards that such things would not be repeated.” “We are certainly grateful that the P.M. has finally broken his silence and invited the police commissioner,” said the Rev. Dominic Emmanuel, a spokesman for the Delhi archdiocese. “We had been always hoping right from the first attack onward that such things would not be repeated.”
Mr. Bassi said the Delhi police would work with the church authorities to install surveillance cameras and appoint guards.Mr. Bassi said the Delhi police would work with the church authorities to install surveillance cameras and appoint guards.
Mr. Bassi said four of the five recent cases involving churches had been solved. In two of them, he said, “the motive was not to attack a particular community.” In West Delhi, he said, three drunken men “unconnected with any organization” had vandalized a church. In another location, where a Nativity scene caught fire, he said that based on surveillance footage, a short circuit was to blame. In South Delhi, he said, children had inadvertently thrown stones at a church. In his televised comments, he did not explain the first and most serious incident, a fire at an East Delhi church on Dec. 1, which church officials believe was a case of arson. The commissioner said four of the five recent cases involving churches had been solved. In two of them, he said, “the motive was not to attack a particular community.”
In his televised comments, he did not explain the most serious incident, a fire at an East Delhi church on Dec. 1, which church officials believe was a case of arson.
Mr. Bassi said two cases involving Christians remained unsolved: the vandalism of a church on Feb. 2 in South Delhi and the case at the school on Friday.Mr. Bassi said two cases involving Christians remained unsolved: the vandalism of a church on Feb. 2 in South Delhi and the case at the school on Friday.
“I would like to assure our Christian brothers and sisters that the police are entirely alert to your safety,” Mr. Bassi said.“I would like to assure our Christian brothers and sisters that the police are entirely alert to your safety,” Mr. Bassi said.
Father Emmanuel, for his part, was unconvinced by the official explanation that the previous church occurrences were random in nature.Father Emmanuel, for his part, was unconvinced by the official explanation that the previous church occurrences were random in nature.
“They always have an excuse,” he said. “They’re not trying to see what we see.”“They always have an excuse,” he said. “They’re not trying to see what we see.”