Whilst acts of hooliganism and violence against Christians intensify in Uttar Pradesh, India’s “secular” authorities continue to show “preferences” for Hindus.

On August 8, senior police and government officials in Meerut threw rose petals from a helicopter to greet Kanwar pilgrims.

A video, shared on social media, shows Additional Director General of Police Prashant Kumar throwing rose petals during an aerial tour. He was accompanied by Meerut’s commissioner. Kanwar Yatra is the annual pilgrimage of devotees of the Lord Shiva. Pilgrims carry water from the Ganges River in pitchers, balanced between their shoulders at both ends of a stick. The pilgrims, called Kanwariyas, walk this way for hundreds of kilometres, barefoot.

Prashant Kumar replied today to charges posted on social media of “favouritism” for throwing rose petals. “No religious angle should be given to this,” he said. “Flowers are used to welcome people. The administration respects all religions and actively takes part even in Gurupurab, Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals.” Despite denials, police “favouritism” towards Hindu pilgrims is clearly evinced by their nonchalant attitude towards pilgrims’ hooliganism.

Before, in Moti Nagar, near Delhi, a group of Kanwariyas wrecked a car with sticks and iron bars because the car had tried to cross the road, swarming with pilgrims, inadvertently brushing against one of them.

The Indian government has ordered the inspection of all the orphanages and children’s care homes run by the order founded by Mother Teresa, after a nun was arrested on charges of trafficking in newborn babies.

In a statement released recently, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said that all state governments have been asked “to get child care homes run by Missionaries of Charity all over the country inspected immediately.”

Early this month, police in Ranchi (Jharkhand) arrested Sister Koshleniea, who ran a children’s home, and an employee of the facility, Anima Indwar, who “sold” a newborn to a family in Uttar Pradesh for 120,000 rupees (US$ 1,750).

Minister Maneka Gandhi’s move appears to be an attempt to stop child trafficking and illegal adoptions that see more than 100,000 children disappear in India. Gandhi also asked that all childcare institutions should register and be linked to a central office for adoption within a month. According to government figures, 2,300 institutions have already registered with another 4,000 still pending.

Sister Mary Prema, superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, has already stated that the congregation would investigate something that “goes against our moral convictions,” and that they would take steps to prevent anything like this happening in the future.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, however, expressed doubts about the case involving the Sisters of Mother Teresa in Jharkhand, that it is being purposefully blown out or proportion by “some people” trying to frame the organisation founded by Mother Teresa. West Bengal Chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, who is great admirer of the saint of Calcutta, spoke in defence of the order founded by Mother Teresa.