New Delhi: As attacks against Christians are increasing in various states of the country, the Central government denying such accusations has informed the Supreme Court that there is no merit in the plea alleging increased attacks and that the petitioner has "resorted to falsehood and self-serving documents" along with press reports which have misreported such incidents. During the argument in the Supreme Court, the central government told a blatant lie that there were no attacks targeting Christians in the country.
In an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it was submitted that as per the inputs received, the majority of the incidents cited by the petitioner as attack on Christians were wrongfully projected in news reports.
"The petitioners claimed to have based the petition on information gathered through sources like press reports (The Wire, The Scroll, Hindustan Times, Dainik Bhaskar, etc.), “independent” online databases and from findings of various non-profit organisations. It is submitted that enquiries reveal that majority of the incidents alleged as Christian persecution in these reports were either false or wrongfully projected," the affidavit said.
The affidavit was filed in response to a Public Interest Litigation alleging rising number of attacks on Christian institutions and priests across the country and seeking the implementation of its guidelines to curb hate crimes.
The relief sought in the plea filed by Rev. Peter Machado and others includes implementation of the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in the 2018 Tehseen Poonawala judgment.
The Supreme court had come out with a slew of guidelines for the Centre and the States in that judgment including appointment of nodal officers to take note of such crimes, fast-tracked trials, victim compensation, deterrent punishment, and disciplinary action against lax law-enforcement officials.
The Central government affidavit in the Supreme Court does not consider incidents like attacks against Christian churches, discretion of the Holy Bible, harassment of Christians, and assaults against Christian educational institutions in the recent past.
Most of the attacks against Christians are allegedly in BJP-ruled states. The government has informed the Supreme Court that there are no attacks against Christians in India when the persecution of Christians is continuing in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Odisha, Assam and Karnataka where the BJP is in power.
During the hearing today before a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, said that the MHA has filed its response.
Senior Counsel Colin Gonsalves sought time to file rejoinder and the matter was then listed for Thursday, August 25.