CSF press release
- Letter to Balasaheb, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray
- CSF sees attempt to communalize and disturb peace
Mumbai, Jul 9: The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) strongly condemned the defacing of Meena Thackeray statue and the attempts to desecrate the Ganesh, Hanuman and Sai Baba idols in the nearby shrine.
The CSF has said so in a letter to Balasaheb, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, while calling upon all concerned to maintain peace. The miscreants also reportedly attacked the nearby police chowky, construing an attack on the State, and it is shocking that the police couldn't make a single arrest.
The CSF feels that the motive seems to communalize Maharashtra is apparent.The CSF therefore appeals to the Thackerays to be magnanimous, by not vitiating the atmosphere or politicizing it. It also would be playing into the hands of the miscreants and the Shiv Sena would lose the sympathy of law-abiding secular citizens, who are one with it on this issue. The sufferers of violence would be only the common man and hence the need to maintain communal harmony.
The CSF urges its activists to join every non-violent protest and calls upon the government to constitute a magisterial inquiry, as to how such an incident could occur in broad daylight, with the police in close proximity. It is a clear indication of laxity on the part of the police, failure of the state intelligence and an indication of deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra. The incident comes close on the heels of the Nashik and Bhiwandi riots, where the role of the police is perceived to be dubious. Thus, the image of the police, as citizen-friendly has taken a beating.
A pattern seems to be emerging to hit at Mumbai as the financial-business capital of the country and also Maharashtra, which is one of India's most industrialized states. Civilians attacking the police, as seen in Mumbai, Nashik and Bhiwandi, is also a matter of serious concern in a civilized society. Unless the government dispassionately pre-empts such mischievous moves and takes stern action by arresting those involved, increasing anarchy seems to be imminent.