PM Narendra Modi breaks silence, vows to protect minorities

Breaking his silence over alleged attacks on religious institutions since his government came to power, prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday vowed to protect minorities and pledged a firm action against the perpetrators. Since May, a usually calm national capital Delhi has seen five instances of a church being attacked and other communal conflagrations, to the extent that US president Barack Obama had to caution India during his visit last month that the country's future success was dependent on avoiding splintering along religious lines. He then raised further eyebrows when he said Mahatma Gandhi would have been "shocked" by religious attacks in India.

"My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly," Modi said at function organised at Vigyan Bhawan by Christian groups to celebrate the beatification of two Indians by Pope Francis late last year.

"We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard," he vowed.

Christian groups hoped that PM's message will go deeper and send right signals around. "It's the first time that he has chosen to speak and speak very clearly his mind. And I am sure he has sent the right kind of signals to all the (Hindu nationalist organisations) that whatever they are doing it's not correct and not in the spirit of the Constitution," said Delhi's Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto. Church leaders earlier this month had clashed with police in Delhi, protesting against attacks.

Opposition parties had charged Modi with inciting Hindu extremists who have been targeting minorities, but keeping silence. Late last week, after a convent school in Delhi was vandalised, the PM had for the first time, summoned Delhi Police chief BS Bassi and asked for the case to be solved immediately. "I appeal to all religious groups to act with restraint, mutual respect, and tolerance," the PM said .

PMO officials, however, deny reports that Modi was giving a long rope to extremists. A senior official said, the PM in past has privately warned his MPs not to make controversial statements and he was focused on turning around economy.

"My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions," the PM said.

Communal conflagrations in Delhi since NDA assumed office

1st August (Nand Nagri): A local altercation is sought to be escalated in a communal direction by outsiders in Nand Nagri area in north-east Delhi. Twelve people are injured. Timely intervention by local residents, however, prevents aggravation.

2nd October (Bawana): Hindu Krantikari Sena, affiliated to the RSS, instigates residents of Bawana village, in north-east Delhi, with false claims of cattle stealing and cow slaughter. A scrap dealer from Bawana JJ Colony (set up in 2004, after slum demolition in Saraswati Vihar, Nizamuddin and Yamuna Pushta) is beaten up. Muslim houses are arbitrarily searched by Hindu Krantikari Sena activists. A motorcycle rally against cow slaughter is organized under open police protection.

11th October (Jorbagh): Stones are pelted by a mob at the Jorbagh Karbala in south Delhi, injuring dozens of children and causing serious damage to the property of the dargah. Police passively witnesses the attack.

23rd October [Diwali] (Trilokpuri): A local altercation in Block 20, Trilokpuri, is given communal colour, and violence breaks out. BJP MLA, Sunil Vaidya, actively fuels religious sentiments. Riots, arson and looting take place across several blocks in Trilokpuri.

25th – 31st October (Bawana): Tension on religious processions. "Mahapanchayat" of around 50 villages at Bawana called to stop Muslim procession.

5th November ( Madanpur Khadar, Okhla): A dead pig is found inside a mosque in the Madanpur Khadar area of Okhla. The Imam of the Mosque immediately informs the police, and ensures that the mosque is cleaned up at the earliest. Local residents form a "peace committee" and urge restraint. These timely efforts make sure that a flare up is averted.

9th November (Babarpur): A sack containing a cow carcass is placed by unidentified men outside a prominent restaurant in Noor-e-Ilahi, Babarpur, at 9pm. The owner of the restaurant is Muslim. Within minutes, a group of outsiders gather outside the shop and start raising inflammatory and communal slogans against the restaurant owner. They actively start mobilizing people, which eventually results in a scuffle. Active solidarity shown by the local residents, however, frustrates these efforts.

11th November (Babarpur): In the neighbouring Ghonda area of Babarpur, the Yuva Hindu Sangh organizes a "panchayat" with a clear intent to provoke communal sentiments, and distributes pamphlets with inflammatory content.

25th November (Rangpuri Pahadi, Vasant Kunj): Targeted demolition a predominantly Muslim slum settlement in the Rangpuri Pahadi area of Vasant Kunj. More than 900 housing units are bulldozed, rendering thousands, including over 2000 children, homeless.

1st December (Dilshad Garden): St. Sebastian Church in Dilshad Garden is burnt down. The church windows are broken, and the altar, cross and holy books are vandalized. Kerosene is discovered in the attic. The police, arriving three hours late, claims, however, that the fire was caused by a short circuit.

6th December (Jasola, Okhla): Stones are thrown at a Syro-Malabar Catholic church in the Jasola area of Okhla during evening mass. The window panes of the church are smashed. Though the police is immediately informed, no criminal case is registered.

8th December (Trilokpuri): Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti addresses a rally in Trilokpuri and, in a thinly veiled manner, justifies her earlier references to minorities as "haraamzadas".

January 3, Rohinee, Stones thrown on a church

January 15, Vikash Puri, Miscreants destroyed status inside church

February 13, Theft at a Holy Child Auxilium School in Vasant Vihar.