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NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday he was “deeply concerned” about the rape of an elderly nun, and the demolition of a church as protests for the better protection of women and religious minorities erupted across the country.
Modi has asked for an immediate report on the violence which occurred over the weekend, according to a statement.
There were angry scenes in parliament as legislators demanded to know why the man accused of rape had not been arrested.
Over the last few months, Modi has been criticised for being slow to condemn a series of attacks on Christian institutions, fuelling concern his Hindu nationalist government is failing to rein in Hindu zealots.
Modi in February pledged a crackdown on religious violence and freedom of worship for all faiths in the wake of a series of vandalism and arson attacks on religious institutions ─ most of which were in Delhi ─ since December.
The Indian prime minister faced criticism even then for not speaking out earlier despite growing concern at the actions of Hindu hardliners ─ including a spate of mass “re-conversions” of Christians and Muslims to Hinduism.
Outrage over the rape of the nun has reignited an angry debate about the safety of women.
“We all feel ashamed, never before could this have been imagined, we have never heard of such things,” said Mohammed Salim, a member of the lower house of parliament. “And despite that, after 70 hours no arrests have been made.”
During a debate, members of parliament shouted: “We demand justice.”
The incident came at a time of heightened sensitivity over women’s safety in India, which last week banned a documentary about the 2012 gang-rape of a student in Delhi that sparked mass protests.
Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in the state of West Bengal on Monday evening, with the disturbance blocking the convoy of the state leader Mamata Banerjee for almost an hour.
Read more: Thousands to rally in India over nun gang-rape: archbishop
Banerjee, a self-styled champion of the poor, was prevented from travelling along a motorway by the mob after she visited the nun in hospital.
The crowd surrounded her car, demanding to know why the man suspected of raping the nun had not been caught.
Banerjee had earlier tweeted her condemnation of what she called a “horrific attack”, promising “swift, strongest action”.
Law and order in India is primarily the responsibility of state governments.
Police detained nine men after the attack on the 75-year-old nun in a convent school but no arrests have been made.
A group of men broke into the school and stole some items. One of them then raped the nun.
Read more: Indian nun raped in convent attack
Even after national soul searching caused by the gang rape and murder of a student in Delhi two years ago and tougher penalties for men who attack women, India is struggling to tame chauvinistic attitudes that leave women vulnerable to rape.
In the past, Banerjee and members of her Trinamool Congress party have attracted criticism for comments on rape deemed insensitive.
Two years ago, Banerjee accused a rape victim of making up the incident and one of her ministers questioned why she was out late drinking at a night club.
