One more cross defiled in Goa; CM says no to CBI probe

Panaji, July 14

A holy cross was found desecrated in south Goa’s Margao on Friday, the latest in a spate of incidents that involves defiling of religious symbols in the state.

Two crosses were found desecrated in Margao’s Loutolim village on Thursday. At least 12 crosses have been defiled and a temple vandalised in the state since July 12, but police have so far been unable to find a breakthrough.

"A holy cross at Calconda locality in Margao town was desecrated last night," Margao police inspector CL Patil said, adding that police were patrolling the area but culprits had taken advantage of heavy rain and power outage for the crime.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has just returned from the US, called the latest incident a "planned crime", but turned down Congress’s demand to hand over investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

 "This (the desecration incidents) is a well-planned crime being executed in Goa," the BJP leader said, adding that there was no point handing over the cases to the CBI.

"The Goa Police is fully involved in the investigation. Desecration of crosses and other religious structures is an ongoing criminal activity," he said, adding the police should be given more time.

The Goa Church, which represents all chapels and churches in the state, had previously blamed the incidents on “vested interests” that wanted to incite “communal discord” in the state and had begun its own fact-finding mission into the incidents.

Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai, whose Goa Forward Party (GFP) is an ally of the ruling BJP, had recently termed the desecration as an "act of terrorism" and demanded that the miscreants be shot at site. PTI