Opposition parties, led by the Congress, on Tuesday raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of crimes against minorities, especially the attack on a church in Haryana and the alleged gang rape of an elderly nun in West Bengal.
"Persons holding constitutional posts are making remarks which are deliberately wounding people. In Hissar, a religious place has been attacked and the chief minister has said the religious place lacked valid papers," Congress member Gaurav Gogoi said.
"This does not seem to be an isolated incident. Such kind of statements are being made again and again," he added.
Incidents in West Bengal and Assam are very threatening. A large population of the country is living in fear, he said, adding that a former police commissioner of Mumbai has expressed fear for minorities.
"Is this right? It is the responsibility of the home ministry to ensure peace."
Congress leader of the house, Mallikarjun Kharge said: "Despite the prime minister giving assurances in the Vigyan Bhawan, why are such incidents taking place again and again."
"We protest against the attitude of the government," he said.
Responding to this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said people who have been practising "communal politics" from the time of Independence are teaching us.
"We oppose communal politics."
P. Venugopal of the AIADMK said: "Our party stands for upholding communal harmony. India is a secular country. People should stop glorifying one religion."
Another Congress member, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, raised the issue of the alleged gang rape of a 71-year-old nun in West Bengal.
CPI-M's Mohammed Salim said despite assurances given by the state administration in West Bengal, no arrests have been made even 72 hours after the nun's gang rape.
Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy said though he condemned the incidents, it was the "present communal atmosphere of the country which is leading to such attacks".
In Haryana, an under-construction church in Kaimri village in Hisar district was vandalised by miscreants some ten days back (and reported on Sunday) and the idol of Hindu deity Hanuman was placed inside the premises.
A few days later, a septuagenarian nun was gang raped in West Bengal.
In the morning, there were protests in the lower house by Congress members over the reported communal remarks and the incidents of attacks on churches.
The opposition party had given adjournment notices on the issue. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, however, rejected the notices and asked the MPs to raise the issue during Zero Hour.
Following this, members from Congress and Left parties trooped near the Speaker's podium shouting slogans against the Sangh Parivar.
