Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Concerned over the setting on fire of a gurudwara in Melbourne, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that the matter will be taken up with Australia.
An External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said they were aware of reports about a building under construction on the premises of the Nanaksar Taath Gurdwara in Cranbourne, a suburb of Melbourne, being damaged in a fire that broke out on
January 12.
"Our Consulate in Melbourne is in the process of ascertaining details from the Gurudwara Management Committee and also following up on the incident with Australian
authorities," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that "some unidentified miscreants had set fire at the construction site, which is located at about 300 odd meters from the Nanaksar Taath Gurdwara".
No one was injured and no structural damage has been caused to the building.
The MEA has warned that its Indian mission in Melbourne will take up the case with the Australian authorities once it gathers credible evidence related to the incident.
However, the gurdwara management believe the attack was racially motivated.
The management has expressed serious concerns over the growing incident of attack on places of worship.
Master Darshan Singh from the gurudwara, said, “We are seriously concerned and worried. The situation is not improving. It’s the second attack on a Hindu place of worship in the recent weeks.”
However, the Australian police investigating the case have ruled out a racial motive behind the attack.
Oz police say gurdwara fire `suspicious`
Amid concerns voiced by the Sikh
community here over a fire incident at a gurdwara, Australian
police have said they were treating the blaze as "suspicious",
but were yet to establish whether race or religion had
motivated the arsonists.
The partially-built Nanksar Thath Gurdwara in Lynbrook
area here was damaged due to the fire that broke out at 0030
hrs local time yesterday (1900 hrs IST Tuesday).
Detective Senior Constable Paul Stow, in charge of the
investigation, said the fire was being treated as suspicious.
However, detectives were yet to find out whether the incident
had any race or religion angle to it, `The Australian`
reported today.
"At this stage there is nothing to suggest it is
(race-related) other than the fact that it happened to a
temple," Detective Constable Stow was quoted as saying.
"... It is believed to have been set on fire with the use
of molotov cocktails early yesterday," the report said.
In New Delhi, an External Affair Ministry spokesperson
said India has taken up the incident with Australia.
"Our Consulate in Melbourne is in the process of
ascertaining details from the Gurudwara Management Committee
and also following up on the incident with Australian
authorities," the spokesperson said.
Members of the Sikh community visited the gurdwara
yesterday to survey the damage.
PTI
