Christian body moves Punjab and Haryana High Court for protection of churches

Chandigarh, September 2

The president of a social organisation, National Christian League, today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for providing security to churches in Punjab. Directions have also been sought to protect the property, including statues of Jesus Christ, from being damaged. Further directions have been sought to protect the minority community in the state “in view of the prevailing out-of-control law and order situation”.

Petitioner Jagdish Masih asserted this was essential in the interest of justice following the incident of damaging a church in Tarn Taran recently. His counsel JS Bains said it was also essential for the maintenance of peace and harmony in the state.

Bains added the statement regarding forcible conversions in the border districts had “further added fuel to this highly sensitive issue, in which the involvement of certain international agencies could not be ruled out”. Bains said the issue for adjudication before the court was whether there was violation of the fundamental rights, as guaranteed under the Constitution, and whether the law and order situation was going out of control in Punjab? The petition is yet to come up for hearing.

SIT formed to probe Tarn Taran incident

The Punjab Police have constituted a three-member SIT to probe the incident in which a church was vandalised at Patti in Tarn Taran district