MHA asks Delhi Police to rein in fringe elements

The Home Ministry has directed the Delhi Police to solve the recent cases of alleged vandalism of Christian establishments in the city as early as possible and said there was an urgent need to act systematically against fringe elements which create disturbance.
In a communication, the Ministry told the Delhi Police to solve the cases of alleged vandalism of five churches and a Christian school on an urgent basis and bring the guilty to book as such incidents create animosity between the communities, sources said.
While this was communicated by Home Secretary L C Goyal to Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said at a function today that incidents like the alleged vandalism of minority institutions only "dent the image" of the police.

Providing security to a diverse city like Delhi is extremely difficult task. But they have to do it, he said.
The Ministry also told the Delhi Police that police personnel in strength must be posted outside churches and other Christian establishments.
It told the Police the need to act systematically against fringe elements and give a sense of security to minority communities.

The Delhi Police has been told to ensure installation of CCTV cameras in minority institutions, raise the height of their boundary walls.
Sources said details of the action plan had been sent to all police stations in Delhi.

There are about 220 churches in Delhi of which 50 are Catholic. Before Christmas last year, the police had sent a circular to all churches to install CCTV cameras.
In its report to the Home Ministry, the Delhi Police has conveyed that 199 temples, 14 mosques and six churches were burgled in 2014. The national capital had also seen thefts in 265 temples in 2013.
Five churches were attacked in the last two and half months in Delhi and holy relics and holy communion were destroyed, leading to protests by Christian groups.
Unidentified persons had vandalised a prominent Christian school in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar on February 13 after that Prime Minister Narendra Modi summoned the Delhi police Commissioner and ordered him to take strong action against the culprits.