Last week, the city walls here in Meghalaya were found stenciled with blasphemous pictures of Jesus Christ and Pope Benedict XVI and uncanny resemblances to state politicians and Governor R S Mooshahary on important government buildings and Christian-run educational institutions.
Two FIRs have been filed, one by Rector of Don Bosco Technical School, Fr L B Anthony and the other by Principal of St Anthonys College, Fr I Warpakma. The state police have registered a case under section 295 A IPC for hurting religious sentiments, stated UNI. “I assure you that the police would nab the culprits-Police are working on the leads,’’ Mr Lyngdoh said.
Most of the graffiti were stenciled with black paint on walls of the Raj Bhavan, state main and additional secretariat buildings and missionary-run educational institutions.
The graffiti raised questions on Uranium issue, which is a sensitive issue in the state and sacrilegious remarks on religion. Others were more cryptic ones depicting cockroaches, scorpions with human face apparently of local politicians.
A graffit on the Raj Bhavan walls said in the local Khasi dialect-’Hangne Dei Uranium (Uranium sold here) How much?’ However, what have left the police baffled are the ones stenciled on the life size statue of Don Bosco and educational institutes run by missionaries.
The graffiti on the Don Bosco statue had stenciled picture of crucified Jesus with a writing-Rs 9.26, 36,105.80 p on the top. Another graffiti had a picture of the Pope Benedict XVI on the walls of Don Bosco Technical School and St Anthonys College.
Archbishop of the Shillong Archdiocese, Rev Dominic Jala strongly condemning the sacrilegious act and expressed surprise on the motive behind the acts of vandalism. “We are pained at the blasphemous depiction of the Pope and have now left it up to the police to look into the matter,’’ Rev Jala said.
The Archbishop further informed that the Church would hold a peace prayer meeting on June 23. The police, meanwhile, are drawing flak from the public for plunging the city into total darkness every night switching off street lights during the period.
In fact, the police must insist on having street lights on and also installation of CCTVs in sensitive areas,’’ Billy Peter Domes, Editor of a vernacular weekly said. Superintendent of Police, A Mawthoh said that there is no breakthrough, but the police are investigating into it.