Lucknow, September 11
The 13 Catholic schools in the city remained closed in protest against the vandalism on Loreto Convent premises by a group of young Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists on Sunday evening. Many public schools also downed their shutters to express solidarity.
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said the law would take its course once the probe team submitted its report. Heavy police bandobust was visible at all the Catholic schools in the city as well as at prominent churches.
Speaking to TNS the Bishop of Lucknow diocese, Father Albert D’Souza, said he was “verifying the incident of a speaker at the doctrine guiding prayer at the school chapel going overboard”. He said if “any error has occurred it will never be repeated”.
Describing the breaking into the school premises by activists of the BJVM as “disheartening” Father D’Souza expressed his anguish at the damage to the 120-year old historic chapel. “I believe that the protestors had a complaint to make but definitely there are more civil ways to make it than what was done yesterday afternoon. It has left the miniscule Catholic population of the city and all marginalized people feeling very insecure”.
Father Paul Rodriques, Principal of Cathedral School and Secretary of the Association of Catholic Association, said the incident would be part of the agenda when the association meets at Allahabad on September 20-21.
Defending the attack by his party members BJP spokesperson H.Dikshit demanded a “high level enquiry into the school management encouraging irrational behavior”. He said the state government was reacting to a “few flower pots being broken” but remained quiet at the school imparting so-called modern scientific education indulging in promoting unscientific activities”.
Meanwhile, the three alleged culprits nabbed by the police after a chase near Loreto Convent last evening were released on bail today. Police sources admitted that no fresh arrests were made or any other progress made in the case for which an FIR was registered at the Hazratganj police station last night. Those who were released on bail today were Asif, Shamshad and Sandeep, all residents of Mawaiya locality.
As news of the BJYM activist attacking and damaging the 120-year old historic school building and chapel spread across the town shocked students and parents spontaneously collected at the Loreto Convent gates today to hold a dharna to lodge their protest against Sunday’s vandalism. A string of visitors including old students, well-wishers and parents visited the school to express solidarity.
The school authorities pacified the agitated students and their guardians to disperse peacefully. Students of Christian College held a demonstration to register their complaint.
According Urvarshi Sahni, Principal of Study Hall, a non- Christian public school, said they had decided to keep their institution closed to express solidarity at the attack on educational autonomy. “I do not support if there was an occult session in the school. But it is the duty of the student and parents to protest. No political party should be allowed to get away with such violence”.
