Disclosing this in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the SIT has been asked to give its report within two months and he would table the report in the House as soon as it is received.
Responding to the members expressing concern on Tuesday over communal tension sought to be caused by burning down the St Sebastian’s Church in Tahirpur in Dilshad Garden area, the Home Minister made a statement on Wednesday, assuring the House that the government would “act strongly against anyone trying to hurt the sentiments of people believing in any religion or faith.”
A delegation of the Christian leaders headed by Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto that had approached Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday to express concern is not satisfied with the SIT probe as it alleged a foul play behind the fire and wanted a judicial probe to go into the depth of the attempts to terrorise members of the minority Christian community living in the area.
The Home Minister said as soon as he learnt of the incident, he spoke to Lt Governor and decided to set up the SIT. There were spontaneous demonstrations in various parts of Delhi on Tuesday to protest against the church fire impacting traffic, but it was all peaceful on Wednesday.
P Karunakaran (CPI-M) and other opposition members had alleged in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the church and its exhibits were completely damaged and burnt down, claiming it was “a pre-planned attempt and not an accident … The intention is to turn it into a sensitive communal issue.”
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik in a statement issued Wednesday, has strongly condemned the mischievous act of miscreants for setting afire St Sebastian’s Church in Delhi in the wee hours of December 1.
Naik said that apart from severe structural damage, the church authorities have, reportedly, estimated a loss of Rs 1.25 crore.
He further said that the use of kerosene by anti-social elements is suspected in the incident in which furniture, literature, church material and electric items were also burnt.
