1 held but Church calls it a ploy

Hours after the Curchorem police declared the cases of desecration of crosses and religious shrines in South Goa to have been the act of Francis Periera a taxi owner, the fact finding report of the Church headed by Father Savio Fernandes has called the arrest to be nothing but an attempt to pacify the anger of the Christian community.

The report states, “The extensive damage caused as witnessed by the fact finding team could not have been possibly inflicted by a single person, more over who is 50 years old.”

The report also quoted, “The desecrations are carried out in a form of a campaign to strike fear, insecurity and mistrust among communities in Goa.

Most of the desecrated crosses visited by the team have been targeted more than once in the past more particularly hinged around political developments in the state. The general perception of the community (Christian) pointed to certain statements at a Hindu conclave and during the visit of a National office bearer of the political party in government as possibly encouraging such incidents.”

The report, which is the work of five members namely Adv. Irfan Engineer, director, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) and Neha Dabhade associated with CSSS, Fr. Savio Fernandes, executive secretary, Council for Social Justice and Peace, Ranjan Solomon and Roselle Solomon, prominent activists working for rights of minorities associated with CSJP also mentions how hate campaign being run against the Muslims and Christians in the country.