Several crosses constructed above the graveyard at the cemetery attached to St. Michael’s Church in Mumbai’s Mahim were vandalised on Saturday. The desecration of the cemetery has fumed the Catholic community, while the Mumbai Police began an investigation into the matter.
Some media reports claimed that the CCTV footage has captured the accused.
Condemning the incident, Clyde Crasto, Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson, urged Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and the Mumbai Police to take “immediate cognisance” of the issue.
“This act seems like a deliberate attempt to pressurize and disturb the peace loving Catholic community in Mumbai,” Crasto tweeted.
“News of Graves and Crosses vandalized at the St. Michael’s Church graveyard in Mahim, Mumbai is very disturbing. This incident happening immediately after the temporary withdrawal of land acquisition notice to St.Peter’s church, Bandra raises many doubts,” he added.
The NCP leader also claimed that the desecration of graves means hurting the feelings and emotions of people who have lost their loved ones and “damaging the Cross hurts the religious sentiments of the Catholic community”.
“The perpetrators of this crime must be arrested immediately and severe action must be taken,” he said.
Vidya Chavan, another NCP leader, “strongly” condemned the damaging and desecration of the crosses and graves and urged the Shinde government for full protection of all churches and graveyards across Mumbai.
“I urge @MumbaiPolice to ensure that those responsible be arrested and strict action be taken against the culprits. It is really sad to see all this has acts have now started in a well educated Maharashtra. Hope the state government takes stern action against the perpetrators at the earliest,” she tweeted.
The incident comes even as six more persons were arrested in connection with the alleged vandalism at a church and attack on policemen in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district early this week, taking the number of those taken into custody to 11.
The church, located on the premises of a private school, in Narayanpur city was targeted on Monday during a protest against alleged religious conversion in the tribal-dominated area. The protesters also attacked Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar and five police personnel when they were trying to disperse the crowd.
