OPPOSITION MPs have been called out in Parliament for what the Government says is a selective approach to condemning recent religious site break-ins.
Following a heated exchange in Parliament, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran told the House that MPs must “set an example through the discourse and debate”.
“Desecration of any religious space is not acceptable and must be denounced in the strongest terms,” she said.
She added that such incidents should not be politicised or framed as ethnic or religiously motivated crimes. She singled out Opposition MP Virendra Lal, saying his comments on a Tavua temple break-in were inconsistent with the message of unity he was expected to promote.
Mr Lal had earlier raised concern over sacrilege cases against places of worship and said such acts must be taken seriously and dealt with firmly by authorities to protect social harmony and respect between communities.
Ms Kiran stressed that similar incidents have affected all faith communities across the country, including temples, mosques, and churches.
She pointed to a series of break-ins across including repeated break-ins at temples in Ba and Nausori, incidents at the country’s oldest Mosque in Navua, along with attacks on Masjid Muhammadi Mulomulo, Wanadoi Markas, and Maururu Mosque in Ba.
She also highlighted the Kinoya AOG Church, which was broken into multiple times this year, as well as the Mount St Mary’s Church and School in Namaka, where sacred items were stolen and desecrated in March 2026. Ms Kiran said Opposition MPs had not uniformly condemned all incidents, warning that selective outrage risks undermining national efforts toward interfaith harmony and social cohesion.
