NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Church blast culprits will be held: Naidu

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday assured the Christian community that all efforts would be made to nab the real culprits involved in bomb blasts at two churches in Ongole and Tadepalligudem towns last week. He advised Christian leaders to be vigilant and sensitive and the community to be watchful.

The chief minister met representatives of churches at the Secretariat.

He assured the community that the government would spare no effort to book the culprits and to maintain law and order. The Christian leaders thanked Naidu for his efforts and pointed out that the 'national hate campaign' against Christians should be addressed immediately.

Naidu told them that he would not spare any effort to investigate the incidents and punish the guilty, "no matter which organisation is involved". He asked the church representatives to pass on any clues or information that could help the investigation.

When the delegation informed him that a hate campaign had been built up against the community across the nation, he told them that he had advised central leaders that law and order was of prime importance and that "the people will not tolerate us if we inflict suffering on any community''.

If investigations indicated that organisations involved in the blasts had links with any political party, he promised that he would immediately disassociate himself and his party from them, as his "secular image cannot be sacrificed for the sake of others' blunders".

The leaders thanked him for his quick reaction to the recent blasts by visiting churches immediately and for promising government assistance for repairs. The community leaders appreciated his warning to the mischief-mongers.

A representative from Kakinada mentioned the high-handedness of local officials in taking over property of a 125-year-old McLaurin Mission High School after demolishing its buildings despite a court stay order. Naidu said that he would look into the issue.

He also advised churches, pastors and priests to be vigilant and said police officials were instructed to cooperate. He felt that the community should be sensitised to norms and precautions to be taken in the light of the situation.

The delegation included Tadepalligudem parish priest, Ongole Pastor, Vikarabad parish priest and the Medak Diocese representative as well as organisers of the Machilipatnam Gospel meeting, where the blasts took place or improvised explosive devices were recovered.

Representatives of the Christian community, including church leaders Father Henry D'Souza, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Dr A Vijaya Kumar, President, City Baptist Churches, Francis, National Vice-President All India Catholic Union, Rev P P Johnson, State Overseer of New India Church of God, Rev Sudarshan Komanapally, Pastor, Rock Church Ministries attended the meeting. Home Minister T Devender Goud, Director-General of Police H J Dora and nominated legislator Della Godfrey also attended the meeting.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report