Police silent on securing other religious sites: Centre to HC

The Centre today told Delhi High Court that while the city police has taken steps to ensure safety of churches and institutes run by missionaries, it was "silent" on the issue of protecting other religious places like temples, mosques and gurudwaras.
The submission was made by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath which was hearing a PIL, filed in the wake of attacks on churches in the national capital, seeking protection of religious rights of Christians.
Central government standing counsel Anil Soni, appearing for MHA, referred to a joint affidavit filed by Delhi Police and the ministry and said the document was "silent" on what has been done to secure other religious sites.

Soni said that according to police, last year there were "106 incidents relating to the trespass, theft, vandalism or destruction at temples, two cases in relation to mosques and 10 in connection with gurudwaras", whereas there were only five attacks on churches in the same period.
The bench, thereafter, directed Delhi Police to file a status report in four weeks on what steps it has taken to protect other religious sites and listed the matter for further hearing on August 26.
In the joint affidavit, the police had said that every church and minority-run schools and educational institutes have been provided round the clock security through "dedicated deployment".

"It is being ensured that PCR vans, emergency response vehicle and motorcycle patrol around churches/missionary schools for enhanced security. At all vulnerable locations, static deployment is made during night hours," the ministry had said in the joint report.
The affidavit had been filed in the PIL by advocate Reegan S Bell who had also sought a status report from the Centre, Delhi government and police on action taken by them regarding the attacks and efforts made by them to secure these places against such incidents in future.