Bangalore, September 19
The Karnataka government has ordered a judicial probe into the recent incidents of attack on Christians and their shrines in the state. The decision follows warning given by the centre to the state saying it may invoke the constitutional provision, Article 355, if violence against minorities continues.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had on Sunday rejected opposition demand for a probe by a sitting judge of the high court and asked the corps of detectives to conduct the inquiry.
However, today, while speaking at a function in Uttara Kannada district, Yeddyurappa announced that a high court judge would probe the incidents.
The details of the probe such as its terms of reference, the name of the judge and the timeframe of the probe would be worked out later.
Two more incidents of attacks on churches were also reported in the state today. While one incident was reported from Bangalore, the second one took place in Mangalore.
In Mangalore, unidentified persons damaged the glass cover of a statue located outside the compound of a church in Moorje area. In Bangalore rural, unidentified persons threw stones at a church at Manchanhalli and broke the window panes.
The church belonged to the Pentecostal group. It was reportedly used once a week to conduct service and kept locked rest of the
week.
