By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on July 16 promised to probe the demolition of a Catholic church in the national capital and try to restore it.
The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party said this when a Church delegation led by Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara of Faridabad met Kejriwal to seek his intervention in the church demolition case.
“Kejriwal has expressed his solidarity with the parish community that lost their church. He promised that he would investigate and try his best to restore the church at the site and thereby provide justice to the minority community,” says a press release from Father Gino K Tom, spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar diocese.
The Little Flower Church in Lado Sarai was demolished July 12 by the officers of South Delhi Municipal Corporation in the presence of a large number of police officers. The diocese alleges that the demolishers disregarded the parish priest’s request to move the holy relics and ritualistic materials kept in the church.
More than 2,000 Syro-Malabar migrant Catholics have used the church for daily worship for the past 12 years. The diocese alleges the illegal demolition violated citizens’ constitutional right to practice their religion.
In an earlier statement on July 14 to the media in Panaji, Goa, Kejriwal promised justice in the church demolition case. He also claimed that the action was taken by the Delhi Development Authority that comes under the federal government.
Besides Archbishop Bharanikulangara, the delegation that met Kejriwal comprised vicar general Monsignor Joseph Odanat, Lado Sarai parish priest Father Jose Kannukuzhy, pastoral council secretary A C Wilson, parish representative Sunny Thomas and Mothers’ Forum representative Biji Viji.
They requested the government to intervene immediately in the matter and take legal action against the perpetrators and restore the church at the site.
The archbishop clarified that the diocese doesn’t intend to politicize or communalize the issue.