BJP defends denial of permission for religious processions in Delhi

SHILLONG, April 16: The State BJP on Wednesday asserted that not everything should be viewed through a communal lens and stated that law and order concerns were the reason behind the denial of permission for both a Catholic procession and the Hanuman Jayanti procession in New Delhi.
“Regarding the law and order situation, how can we comment on something that the Delhi Police is handling? If it had been only the Palm Sunday procession, one could question it. But prior to that, permission was also denied for the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Delhi,” said State BJP general secretary Wankitbok Pohshna.
The Delhi Police had denied permission on Sunday for a Palm Sunday procession between St. Mary’s Church in Old Delhi and the Sacred Heart Cathedral near Gole Market. This sparked sharp reactions from Catholic groups and political parties, who termed the decision “unfair” and “shocking.” The police, however, cited law and order and traffic concerns as the reasons for the denial.
“Permission may have been denied based on the assessment of law enforcement agencies. This should not be interpreted as a denial of religious freedom. We are free to practise the faith of our choice,” Pohshna added.
While acknowledging that Palm Sunday is celebrated with devotion across the country, he clarified, “If I’m not mistaken, they were denied permission to hold the procession from one point to another, but they were not stopped from worshipping within the church compound.”
When asked about recent remarks made by Tura MP Saleng Sangma regarding the growing persecution of Christians under the BJP-led NDA regime, Pohshna responded, “I have not heard our MP making that statement. But yes, Congress leaders are trying to divert the country’s attention from core issues like the National Herald case. There is no major persecution. I’m not sure about his data, but as far as I can tell, things are going fine.”
He concluded, “I would like to ask him what he has to say about the National Herald issue.”