NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said on Tuesday that his government would not “accept violence against any religion, on any pretext” and that it would take forceful steps to prevent and prosecute such crimes, in a speech widely interpreted as a response to a series of attacks on Roman Catholic churches in and around New Delhi.
“My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the minority or the majority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly,” Mr. Modi said at a New Delhi ceremony to honor the recent canonization of two Indians by the Vatican. “I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard.”
For weeks, church officials and rights campaigners have urged Mr. Modi to address a growing sense of insecurity among the country’s religious minorities, including Muslims, Christians and Buddhists.
During a visit to India in late January, President Obama also raised the issue of tolerance, telling a crowd of students, “India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith.” He reiterated that position after his return to the United States.
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“What can I say? Thank God, finally,” said Yogendra Yadav, a senior strategist for the Aam Aadmi Party, which won 67 of Delhi’s 70 assembly seats in last week’s elections. He said the magnitude of the loss must have served as a signal to Mr. Modi.
“He is a consummate political player,” Mr. Yadav said. “He had positioned himself as being an aggressive pro-Hindu person, and he did not want to dilute his image. I guess he has now realized he needed to move closer to the median.”
Nida Najar contributed reporting.
