Church demolition: Delhi chief minister blames federal government

By Matters India Reporter

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on July 14 said the demolition of a church in South Delhi was carried out by the Delhi Development Authority that comes under the federal government.

“I was initially told that the demolition was carried out by the Delhi Development Authority. The DDA comes under the Central government. The Delhi government has no control over it,” Kejriwal told reporters in the Goa capital of Panaji.

He, however, assured justice in the matter to Christians in the national capital who continued to protest the demolition on the third day.

The south Delhi district administration on July 12 razed Little Flower Church built on an “encroached” land in Chhatarpur. However, Christians termed the action “illegal,” and denied the church was served a notice to vacate the premises.

Kejriwal, who is visiting Goa, said DDA “perhaps approached the high court, which gave the order and the DDA took the action.”

Kejriwal heads the Aam Aadmi (common people) Party (AAP) that rules the Delhi state whereas the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party leads the federal government of the National Democratic Alliance.

The Delhi chief minister also said that the local MLA of his party was with the church and providing all the help.

“If there was a stay order by the High Court, the demolition of the portion would not have happened. I don’t know the legal part of the matter. When I arrived here yesterday, I was told that such action had been taken,” he said.

Kejriwal said he will go back to Delhi and study the matter. “I can only assure you that the justice will be done and whatever is right will be upheld,” he added.

Meanwhile on July 14, Auxiliary Bishop Jose Puthenveetil of Faridabad, who oversees the diocese’s Punjab Mission, visited the site of the demolished church along with missionaries from his place to express solidarity with the parishioners of Lado Sarai.

Bishop Puthenveetil joined priests, nuns and lay people of the Punjab Mission to term the demolition as “a very unfortunate event” and to bemoan the brutal curtailing of the parishioners’ fundamental rights to freedom of religion in the secular India.

Police have barricaded the road to the church, but hundreds of people gathered on the main road to pray and demand for justice on July 14 evening.

“It is the temple of God where thousands of people meet their spiritual and pastoral needs daily. The unexpected and brutal action of the authorities is against the spirit of secularism of our nation,” asserted Father Mathew Kumbuckal, coordinator of the Punjab Mission.

The member of the Congregation of St Therese of Lisieux condemned “the merciless and unjust act of the Delhi govternment authorities in demolishing of the holy place of worship.”