The annual Way of the Cross procession — a traditional event organised by the Catholic archdiocese of Delhi on Palm Sunday — could not be held after Delhi police denied permission citing “law and order and traffic concerns”.

The Catholic Association of the Archdiocese of Delhi (CAAD) expressed “deep shock and anguish” over the cancellation of the procession that had been taking place since 2013, with a break only during the pandemic.

CAAD president A.C. Michael said in a statement: “The faithful walk from St Mary’s Church, Old Delhi, to the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Gole Dak Khana, prayerfully enacting the 14 Stations of the Cross to commemorate the Passion of Jesus Christ.

“The Catholic Association of the Archdiocese of Delhi is deeply hurt and disappointed by the decision of the Delhi police to deny permission for the Annual Way of the Cross scheduled for 13th April 2025. The reason cited — law and order and traffic concerns on a Sunday — is difficult to accept, especially when other communities and political groups are routinely granted permission for processions and rallies, even during peak hours on working days. Christians now question whether their constitutional right to religious freedom is being equally upheld.”

He claimed that there had been no “report of traffic disruption or law and order issue linked to our event” and the denial of permission this year felt “biased and unfair, casting a shadow on the principles of equal treatment and religious freedom”.

The archdiocese had sought permission from the police commissioner on March 12. “We were only informed last (Saturday) night that it won’t be allowed,” Michael told
The Telegraph.

On Saturday, the police delivered a wireless message from DCP (headquarters)-II to the archbishop’s house, saying that the request for permission “could not be acceded to from law & order, security and traffic point of view”.

Calls, messages and emails from this reporter to police officers went unanswered till the filing of this report. On Saturday, the police allowed a Hanuman Jayanti Yatra in Jahangirpuri, where riots had erupted during the procession in 2022.

The other major Palm Sunday procession in the capital, organised by the Christian Youth League, took place as usual in central and north Delhi. Smaller processions were also held in other parts of the capital.

The Catholic church had supported the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which the Opposition fears will dilute Muslim control over their religious charities and open a wave of litigation.

Kerala Congress MP K.C. Venugopal pointed out on X that the police action came soon after the publication of an article on the web portal of the RSS mouthpiece Organiser that sought to draw the government’s attention to the land held by the Catholic Church in the country.

In a letter to home minister Amit Shah on Sunday, Venugopal said: “This isn’t mere oversight; it’s a deliberate act of suppression. The government’s refusal to offer even a shred of credible reasoning for this ban lays bare its motives: discrimination dressed up as policy. This selective targeting underlines the calculated agenda to silence minority voices while amplifying others, tearing at the very roots of our secular democracy.”