Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, on Sunday, slammed the BJP for allegedly denying permission for the Kuruthola Pradakshina procession in Delhi. He asked the ruling dispensation are Christians in the national capital excluded from Article 25 of the Constitution.
In a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he wrote, “I am writing to register my strong protest and deep concern over the recent denial of permission for the Kuruthola Pradakshina procession to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi-a church deemed significant enough for the Hon’ble Prime Minister to grace with his presence during Christmas and Easter.”
Venugopal, who is also the Congress general secretary in-charge of Organisation, said the decision to “prohibit” this peaceful religious procession represents a serious attack on the religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
He noted that the Kuruthola Pradakshina (Way of the Cross Procession) on Palm Sunday, which occurs a week before Easter Sunday, is a cherished tradition within the Christian community, symbolizing devotion and communal harmony.
“The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi had been carrying out this peaceful religious procession for the last 15 years, and therefore, denying permission without concrete reasons raises questions about the government’s commitment to upholding the fundamental right to practice and profess one’s religion freely. Religious processions are an integral part of many faiths in India, and restricting them without transparent and justifiable reasons undermines the secular fabric of our democracy,” Venugopal said.
Calling it an “act of suppression”, he said the government’s refusal to offer even a shred of credible reasoning for this ban lays bare its motives: discrimination dressed up as policy, adding this selective targeting underlines the calculated agenda to silence minority voices while amplifying others, tearing at the very roots of India’s secular democracy.
The senior Congress leader urged the Minister to investigate the circumstances that lead to denial of permission by Delhi Police for the procession and take immediate corrective measures to ensure that the constitutional right to religious freedom is protected and respected.
He said the government has a duty to facilitate, rather than obstruct, the peaceful expression of faith by all communities.