By IANS,
Panaji : Ordering a police probe into the vandalisation of more than 100 tombstones in Muslim and Christian graveyards in three places across Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Monday assured of strong action against those responsible for the desecration.
He claimed that the incidents could be part of an exercise to defame the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.
“These people are trying to create a rift amongst Goans… They may be trying to paint a picture across India that such places are being damaged in a BJP ruled state. They should not be allowed to succeed in their objective,” Parrikar said.
The chief minister also said that he will go “hammer and tongs” against the culprits.
The incidents took place over the last two days in Curchorem, a mining town 50 km from Panajai, Verna, 25 kms from Panaji and the town of Mapusa, a short distance from the capital.
The Goa government has already announced a reward of Rs.50,000 to any informant coming forth with leads.
The biggest damage was caused at Curchorem, where forty tombstones and headstones at the cemetery of the Guardian Angel church were smashed early Sunday morning and 67 tombstones at the local Muslim cemetery had also been damaged, according to police.
In a statement issued here, a spokesperson for the Goa church has described the acts of vandalism as “dastardly and coward(ly) acts”.
“The Church also manifests her solidarity with the aggrieved local communities and shares in the pain and injustice caused by this unwarranted profanation of the resting places of their dear and near ones,” said the spokesman, Father Francisco Caldeira.
“We also expect that the state machinery will be effectively geared to nab the culprits and that such irreverent law and order threatening acts are not repeated,” he added.
During the earlier Congress-led coalition regime, more than 40 instances of damage and desecration of small temples, churches and other places of worship across the state had come to light over a period of two years.
The incidents remain unsolved despite then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat setting up a special investigation team (SIT) headed by a top crime branch official.