Thiruvananthapuram: Facing criticism from various church groups for his remarks against bishops who attended the Prime Minister's Christmas programme, Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan on Tuesday said he is withdrawing the controversial parts of his speech related to "cake and wine" that had offended them.

Cheriyan, a senior leader of the CPM in Kerala, however, maintained his stance on the alleged silence of bishops regarding "violence targeting Christians" in Manipur and other parts of the country during Modi's Christmas programme.

In his statement issued on Tuesday, Cherian said, “There were two parts of my speech and one part was that I strongly feel that the Bishops should have raised the Manipur issue with the Prime Minister. The second part was about cake and wine. While I stand by my first statement, the second part, I have now realized, has hurt people. Hence, since people are hurt and I got calls from Christian leaders also, I apologise for it and I withdraw it.”

“My statement as a whole was a political one about the fears and concerns of the minority communities, Muslims and Christians, and I stand by that and it should have been raised,” added Cherian.

Earlier in the day, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) president Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis had stated that the council wouldn’t cooperate with the activities of the Kerala government until cabinet minister Saji Cheriyan withdrew his controversial remarks. 

“Saji Cheriyan’s comments were absolutely disheartening. As the president of KCBC, I am asking the Minister to withdraw his comments. Until then, we won’t cooperate with government activities. We always hold a positive approach towards governments. However, the relationship has been strained now and things have gone south. I hope the issue gets resolved soon,” said Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis.

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) spokesperson, Fr Jacob Palackappilly, condemned Cheriyan's remarks, saying persons in high positions should refrain from making such statements.

Palackappilly mocked Cheriyan and a few other left leaders, accusing them of using disrespectful language against Christian priests during Christmas celebrations. Taking a dig at them, he said that they seem to have a "dictionary" only to address higher-ups in society.

Responding to Cheriyan's criticism that priests did not discuss the Manipur violence issue with Modi during the Christmas programme, the KCBC spokesperson said that it is not the role of political parties to dictate the political stance of Christians. He questioned the ministers' motive behind linking the Christian community's participation in the Prime Minister's event to a specific political affiliation.

Palackappilly clarified that the Christmas programme was a reception organised by the Prime Minister to discuss the services provided by Christians in the country. He urged against adopting a negative stance on the matter and highlighted the participation of Christian priests including Bishops' as part of their commitment to the nation.

During the Christmas event, Modi praised the Christian community for its role in India's freedom movement and contributions to healthcare and education. The Prime Minister acknowledged the values of compassion and justice promoted by Jesus Christ, describing them as guiding principles for his government's development journey. (With inputs from PTI)