K'taka Church Attacks: Gooda Act invoked

Bangalore: A harried Karnataka Chief Minister broke his silence over the politics of the attack on churches in his state.

Now that he is under pressure both from the Centre and his own party, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa lashed out againt the Union Government for what he insisted was blatant discrimination.

"Violence is everywhere. Delhi was bombed last week. The Central Government is turning a blind eye. Why are they targetting only Karnataka?" he asked.

Having reviewed the situation in an emergency Cabinet meeting, he placed police officials under suspension and even admitted there were lapses.

"We have suspended police officials and ordered an inquiry into the activities of the The New Life Church," he said.

GOONDA ACT

The act is officially called The Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act. The 1987 act provides for preventive detention for three months, extendable by three months at a time and imposes stringent conditions for bail.

Karnataka on Monday decided to treat those attacking places of worship as goondas (thugs) and prosecute them under a tough law popularly known as Goonda Act.

It was decided at a cabinet meeting called to consider steps to end the continuing attacks on Christian places of worship to provide round-the-clock security to churches.

The CM, BS Yeddyurappa has announced that the police have been directed to keep a close watch on the activities of H T Sangliana, a former Bangalore city police commissioner and expelled BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bangalore, as well as V M Samuel, head of New Life Fellowship Trust.

The Trust is accused by Hindu groups like Bajrang Dal of involvement in converting Hindus and distributing literature insulting Hindu gods. Samuel has denied the charges.

The central government, in a rare development, sent two advisories in two days to the state government expressing concern over the attacks and suggesting that all efforts be made to end them. Yeddyurappa, on his part, has attacked the central government for sending the two advisories and said it was adopting double standards.

Yeddyurappa was under fire for his inability to control the situation and douse the raging communal flame, which has now reached even state capital Bangalore. The Centre's warning and the deep anxieties of the Christians made him scurry around for an immediate solution.

Though the Central leadership of the BJP is deeply concerned about the image of its first ever government in the South, Yeddyurappa had to keep sections of the Sangh Parivar happy.

The party expressed its desire that the Chief Minister keep things under control, but refused to make any official statement on the developments.

In order to instil confidence, Yeddyurappa drove directly to the house of Archbishop Reverend Father Bernard Moraes and held an hour-long meeting with the clergy. He assured them of all support from the state.

"We are angry and very upset by the attack. I am telling you publicly, we are very hurt. We cannot express our feelings," the Archbishop said.

Christians have become a soft target in the NDA-ruled states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. However, what is escaping attention is seven attacks on Churches in Left-ruled Kerala and DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu in the last week. The Chief Minister is therefore complaining about selective action by the Centre.

"The union home ministry did not dare send advisories (to state governments) when serial blasts took place in Delhi recently, when 20,000 Hindus were massacred in Jammu and Kashmir, when there were serial blasts in Mumbai, when the Andhra Pradesh home minister was killed and when 18 people were killed in Singur. Five people have been arrested in Kodagu district Sunday on charges of persuading Hindus to embrace Christianity. A church in the area was damaged in stone throwing Saturday night. The attack on a church in northeast Bangalore Saturday night was a case of theft"
— Karnataka Chief Minister, BS Yeddyurappa

(With inputs from D P Satish in New Delhi)

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