New Delhi: Delhi police Commissioner BS Bassi, in a report to home ministry stated that as compared to churches, more cases of theft were reported from temples, gurudwaras and mosques last year. This, he told in a meeting with the home ministry officials when he was summoned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the data presented by Bassi, 206 temples, 30 gurudwaras, 14 mosques and three churches were burgled in 2014.
However, Bassi was told by the Home secretary L C Goyal that in the wake of the recent cases, there was a perception that a particular community was targeted. Hence, he was asked to solve cases of alleged vandalism of five churches and a Christian school on priority; as the incidents were creating bitterness amongst different communities.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also pointed out these incidents at a function on Monday and has asked the top cop to solve the Dilshad Garden case on top priority where the entire church was gutted down.
He remarked that such incidents “dent the image” of the police and stated that although it is understood that providing security to a diverse city like Delhi was a difficult task however, the police still had to do it.
Delhi police has also been told by the ministry to get police personnel posted outside churches and other Christian establishments. The ministry instructed police to act against fringe elements and provide a sense of security to minority communities.
Apart from this, the police in the capital region have also been told to install CCTV cameras at minority institutions and get the height of their boundary walls raised.
As reported by The Indian Express, details of the action plan have been sent to all the police stations.
Reportedly, in the last two-and-a-half months, there had been five attacks on churches in Delhi wherein religious items were destroyed. A prominent Christian school in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar was also vandalized on February 13.
