THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two political parties, the CPM and BJP, in power in Kerala and at the Centre are caught in a political slugfest after the former criticised a section of Christian Church heads, even naming a few of them, for their allegiance towards the latter.

In a recent editorial in the CPM’s publication,  ‘People’s Democracy’, the party accused some church leaders of compromising their stance under the relentless pressure of the BJP government. The editorial mentioned Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of the Thalassery Archdiocese, and even Cardinal George Alencherry, whose petition in the Supreme Court to quash criminal cases against him was rejected, came out in an interview stating that Modi was “a good leader” and that Christians were not insecure under BJP rule.

According to the CPM, the BJP has adopted a two-pronged approach to influence the Christian community in Kerala. Firstly, it has sought to fan anti-Muslim sentiments amongst the Catholic community, particularly the Syro-Malabar Church. Secondly, the Modi government is allegedly using intimidation tactics to subdue anyone who does not fall in line with the BJP-RSS politics.

The Enforcement Directorate has initiated investigations against various church leaders, including Bishop Dharma Raj, the moderator of the Church of South  India, and religious leaders like K P Yohannan and Paul Dinakaran. Cardinal George Alencherry, Archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, is also under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate.

Additionally, pressure is being mounted through the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).The CPM clarified that Christians in Kerala are an integral part of the secular fabric and should not be influenced by political agendas.

However, BJP state president K Surendran criticised the CPM for disrespecting the Christian Churches. He stated that it is only the CPM’s delusion that they could pressure Church heads to withdraw their support for the  BJP through intimidation. “The CPM is in discomfort because the Christian community is responding against the LDF’s communalism. The Congress is supporting the anti-Christian article,” he said.

Surendran also claimed that Christians in Kerala were mistreated even when the LDF was in power.

“The chopping of the palm of Joseph, a  college teacher, happened when the LDF was in power. The CPM was with the Popular Front activists who had marched towards the Archdiocese of the Pala Bishop,” he

This article is originally published on https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2023/Apr/14/cpm-bjp-lock-horns-in-keralaover-church-positions-2565760.html