Modi Summons Delhi Top Cop Over Attack on Christian School
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi summoned the Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on Friday and expressed his “deep concern and anguish” over the rising crime rate in the national Capital. The Prime Minister asked the Police Commissioner to speedily investigate the recent incidents of vandalism and ensure that the guilty are brought to book. He also spoke to Union Home Secretary LC Goyal.
The Commissioner was summoned after the ‘break-in’ incident took place at a convent school -- Holy Child Auxilium School -- in south Delhi's Vasant Vihar on Thursday night. The initial reports stated that it was vandalism but later school officials say the window of the principal's office was broken and around Rs 12,000 was stolen from there. The HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who studied in same school, also visited the school.
Modi’s direct intervention is aimed at sending a strong message across to police so that they should ensure safety. Around half a dozen cases of vandalism at churches had been reported in the Capital in as many months. He specifically told Home Secretary to pay special attention to the “rising incidents of crime, and vandalism, and to work towards ensuring the safety and security of women in the Capital.”
As the incident came to light on Friday morning, the police went into tizzy. Soon swarm of police officers rushed to the school premises and all students were sent home and a notice at the gate pasted, “No classes will be conducted today.”
Principal Lucy John said it was theft. “To us it is not a case of vandalism but theft. No religious item was stolen,” she said. However, Father Dominic Emmanuel, spokesperson of the Delhi Archdiocese linked the incident to recent attacks on churches. “Certain people came at night, broke the CCTV camera, went into the principal's room and ransacked it,” he said.
Bassi said that the Prime Minister has expressed deep concern over recent attacks on Church and Holy Child Auxilium School. “He also sought details of recent attacks on churches and asked Delhi Police to do utmost effort to ensure no such incidents took place in near future,” Bassi said.
Chief Minister designate Arvind Kejriwal also warned that such attacks will not be tolerated.
Series of attacks on religious places were sending a wrong signal to not the just the minority community, but also India’s image was being sullied in international community. Opposition parties had questioned government silence over the issue. Last week, a delegation of Christian missionaries had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh.