The Catholic Association of the Archdiocese of Delhi (CAAD) Sunday said the “denial” of police permission to carry out the Annual Way of the Cross procession, a religious event observed on Palm Sunday, was “shocking and unfair”. “This is deeply shocking and unfair. The procession has always been peaceful and well-coordinated with authorities. The reason cited — law and order and traffic — doesn’t hold when others get approvals for similar events,” said A C Michael, President of Catholic Association of the Archdiocese of Delhi (CAAD) in a statement. The Delhi Police did not respond to the issue. The procession is held from St Mary’s Church to Sacred Heart Cathedral and commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ. The denial of the permission was criticised by the Congress and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Vijayan called the denial of permission for the ‘Kuruthola Pradakshinam’ (Palm Sunday procession) condemnable. “Such actions, which undermine the religious beliefs of minorities, are not in line with a pluralistic society,” the Kerala CM said. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said in a post on X, “The BJP can’t even keep up its ‘so-called pro-Christian’ gimmick for a single week. First, the Organiser article targeting Church properties, and now the Delhi Police has denied permission for the sacred procession on the holy day of Palm Sunday.” “The decision to prohibit this peaceful religious procession represents a serious attack on the religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution of India,” Venugopal wrote in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah.
