Indian police detain dozens protesting attacks on churches
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NEW DELHI: Police detained dozens of people Thursday who were protesting against recent attacks on churches in the Indian capital and who accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of inaction to prevent or investigate the incidents.
Police said the protesters were detained as they marched toward the residence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh in a high-security area where protests are banned.
Read: Indian Christians protest as fire destroys church
“The protesters have no permission to protest on the road. They can't just march to the home minister's residence. We have to protect the homes of VIPs,” a senior police officer, Mukesh Kumar Meena, told New Delhi Television network.
Carrying placards that read “Enough is Enough, What are police doing?” the protesters assembled outside the city's main Sacred Heart Church in central New Delhi.
The protesters blame the attacks on Hindu hardliners.
Police say they have provided security to all 225 churches in the Indian capital.
The protest comes after a mysterious fire gutted a church in New Delhi and several other incidents of vandalism at churches across the city.
On Monday, a church was vandalised in New Delhi when unidentified people broke in and desecrated holy objects kept in the church, the fifth such attack on a Christian church since December.
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On DawnNews
Comments (39) Closed
Feb 05, 2015 12:22pm
If police had shown similar promptness in protecting churches then such a situation would not have arisen. Indian State should remember that by protecting freedom of religion they are in fact protecting themselves.
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Feb 05, 2015 12:28pm
Worlds Largest Democracy?
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Feb 05, 2015 12:32pm
@Naxalite what sense does your comment make? Church was vandalised, police is investigating, what's the need for violent protests, govt must ensure people who are behind vandalism are brought to books
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Feb 05, 2015 12:36pm
@Naxalite : Yep...where Christians aren't burnt alive!
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Feb 05, 2015 12:40pm
Billions of dollars come to india to convert illiterate and poor tribals to christianity by providing them with hospitals,schools etc . Does charity have to involve conversion. This way poor nations will lose their faiths and culture
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Feb 05, 2015 12:44pm
Teach us how to run a country properly ! We can learn a lot from the govrnence of holi land...
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Feb 05, 2015 01:07pm
@Charu Sure about this? Just look at what happened during a riot a couple of years ago.
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Feb 05, 2015 01:14pm
"A few people barged into the church premises. They took away the sacred items and a DVD player. But they did not touch our collection box," Father Vincent Salvatore told IANS.
Is this vandalisation or theft?
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Feb 05, 2015 01:28pm
there were so many cctvs for Obama's visit. Can't the govt re arrange these cctvs to cover all the important locations to know who is actually going about doing these incidents ??
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Feb 05, 2015 01:35pm
Looks like Indians condemnation is militated to us raising either Kashmir issue our just problems of our minorities.
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Feb 05, 2015 01:46pm
Nothing better can be expected under Modis rule!
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Feb 05, 2015 01:48pm
There is an election happening in Delhi. An attack on the church two days before the election could not have been organised by Hindu fringe groups as they know it would hurt BJP's chances. That leaves AAP, the biggest beneficiary of the Christian and Muslim votes.
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Feb 05, 2015 01:50pm
"A few people barged into the church premises. They took away the sacred items and a DVD player. But they did not touch our collection box," Father Vincent Salvatore told IANS.
Is this vandalisation or theft?
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Feb 05, 2015 02:43pm
@Sudhanshu Swami ...yes this is within the prescribed Law of the Land. Somebody break open into your house and take away your TV, Fridge etc. but do not take cash what you will call it? Civilized robbery?
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Feb 05, 2015 02:53pm
@Safwan ..Indian Police investigating???
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Feb 05, 2015 02:54pm
@Yokohama Indian Police investigating Sikh riots 1984, police investigating Samjohta Express Blast. After investigation needs time.
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Feb 05, 2015 03:22pm
its true it is shameful in a country which prides itself as secular and the govt must take immediate action. But its also true that in India people dont throw those of other faiths into a brick kiln and burn them alive - and I am not talking about ISIS.
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Feb 05, 2015 03:58pm
If Narendra Modi remain few more years as Prime Minister all churches will become history. His Govt can't show tolerance toward minority then clearly say it, we don't need you.
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Feb 05, 2015 05:18pm
@Yokohama yet the murder of 5,000 Muslims in Gujarat by a violent raging mob was idly watched by indian police. One thought for Hindus and another for muslims and Christian.
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Feb 05, 2015 05:30pm
Seems due to Modi's extremist Hindu background and soft corner for them, we see more aggression in all of whatever India does. Unraveling of a secular democratic India may have begun.
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Feb 05, 2015 05:54pm
A country Where the grieved are victimized and the perpetrators placated.
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Feb 05, 2015 06:58pm
I remember in late 90s when BJP led NDA government was in power, similar attacks on Churches were seen and as usual, Hindus were blamed. Later, investigation revealed that it was Deendar Anjuman, a Muslim organization that was behind the attacks.
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Feb 05, 2015 07:28pm
@Orwell If you were so concerned about the tribals and illiterates why didn't you help them instead of criticizing the ones who are? Tribals and illiterates aren't religious. Being Christian, Hindu or Muslim doesn't make any difference to them. Their only goal is to survive day by day.
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Feb 05, 2015 07:46pm
@Orwell :: Do you know how much is a Billion Dollars?
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Feb 05, 2015 08:18pm
Freedom of religion is a pre-requisite for peace not only in India and Pakistan but the world over. India's peaceful rise is associated with freedom of religion. It must bring culprits to justice. and dear commentators please don't drag each other's country. comment for solution and not highlight the adverse issues on both sides of the border
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Feb 05, 2015 09:11pm
@Datta That was a horrible incident, but don't apply that to the Pakistani people in general. Remember, India's the country where thousands of Sikhs were massacred in 1984 and Christians were killed, raped, and forcibly converted in Orissa a few years back. No country is exempt from religious violence, and each has bad in its society, but that's not what defines us.
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Feb 05, 2015 09:21pm
Well done the world's largest secular democracy. You destroy churches and don't allow the concerned minority to protest against this religious terrorism. Instead you detain them. When will you practice what you preach, the hypocrites.
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Feb 05, 2015 09:58pm
@Zak No my friend it was 50,000 Muslims were killed in Gujarat. Rather entire Muslim populous were killed by Modi himself. You guys are poor in exaggeration also.
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Feb 05, 2015 10:03pm
@Zak
Nahh there were 1000,000 Muslims died in Gujrat riots. If you want to cook numbers why a paltry figure of 5000.
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Feb 05, 2015 10:32pm
@Datta Do you mean it...of the reported 2000(Government figure is 1200), killed in Gujarat, mostly innocent humans, most of them were burnt alive.
Also in Orissa few years ago, close to 500 Christians were killed, mostly burnt, that includes an Australian priest and his son, many churches burnt... Google search about the incidents and you will know.
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Feb 05, 2015 10:35pm
These type of events gives sadistic pleasure to Modi and their extremist supporters...it is actually good for them...to get more votes.
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Feb 05, 2015 10:45pm
these things had happened in india in past & would happen in future untill india is not becoming a civilized nation.
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Feb 05, 2015 10:49pm
@Zak: Kindly introspect in your land first!
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Feb 05, 2015 11:50pm
India is a Secular nation and alway will be the secular nation..Because Secularism is in India"s culture...Multireligions are followed in India are not from 200 yrs..they are thousands year old...So no one has right to Teach India secularism...and especially non secular States
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Feb 06, 2015 06:01am
@Pak - It is a complete lie. Nobody was forcibly converted. Those who attacked were punished. However those who attacked Hindus in Assam and tribal areas are free.
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Feb 06, 2015 07:53am
@up wala Teach your Prime Minister about secularism.
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Feb 06, 2015 07:55am
@Maxx. And you call it the biggest democracy?
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Feb 06, 2015 12:09pm
@Pak totally agree with you. At the same time you must agree that you cannot compare Pakistani violence against the minorities iwth that of India for several reasons - the population is 6 times more, the percentage minority in Pak is only 2% whereas in India its is a total of 15%+8% (Muslims + Christians) and not counting the hundreds of other faiths, sects, subsects etc all over the nation. So some degree of religious conflict is unavoidable and is impossible to prevent but can be controlled. But in Pak where the minority is minuscule and can never be considered a threat, it should never happen.
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Feb 06, 2015 09:35pm
@Datta
Preach what you practice please.
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