Modi not responsible for ‘small communal skirmishes’, says Orthodox bishop; slams oppn protests

Kottayam: Geevarghese Mar Yulios, the metropolitan bishop of Kunnamkulam Diocese of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, expressed that blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all the "skirmishes" in India is unfair, as India is a multicultural country and it is natural for some conflicts to arise among communities. He made this statement during a conversation with N Hari, the BJP president of the Kerala central zone.

Mar Yulios explained that he and others organised a protest against the attack on a nunnery in Kolkata, but later it was revealed that the attackers were from Bangladesh. He also mentioned his understanding that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) stands for personal development of people and creation of civic sense, as well as the protection of women, citing the example of Raksha Bandhan. However, the edited video abruptly ends before Mar Yulios was seemed to be mentioning an antithesis.

At the end of the video shared by Hari, Mar Yulios is heard covertly criticising Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, stating that when someone is convicted by a court, they have options to appeal, including to the Supreme Court. He questioned how critics can claim that these institutions are controlled by the union government. He also mentioned that critics often fail to ensure justice in their own states, and expressed lack of trust in the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and National Investigation Agency (NIA).

14 opposition parties, led by the Congress, had alleged arbitrary use of central probe agencies against political opponents.

It is worth noting that the Orthodox community is a major supporter of the Congress in Kerala and is currently protesting against the LDF-led Kerala government over attempts to overcome a Supreme Court verdict from 2017 related to the Church's fight with the Jacobite section for rights over parishes.

The BJP has been engaging with Church leaders across the state as part of their minority outreach program initiated by the central leadership of the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in Delhi on Easter Sunday, and Kerala leaders have met with several Roman Catholic bishops as well. A week ago, the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, met with Prime Minister Modi in his Parliament office to invite him to visit their headquarters in Kottayam, Kerala, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.

Mar Joseph Pamplany, metropolitan archbishop of Tellicherry Archdiocese in the Syro-Malabar Church, recently stirred controversy by stating that the BJP would win a Lok Sabha seat from Kerala if it increased the price of procured rubber to Rs 300 per kg. The majority of rubber growers in the high ranges of the state belong to the Church. The Congress and CPM criticised Archbishop Pamplany for his statement.

Pamplany on Tuesday defended his position, stating that people have the maturity to understand the historical context of what is said in 'Vicharadhara', the Malayalam translation of the book 'Bunch of Thoughts' by RSS ideologue MS Golwalkar. He was responding to critics of the alleged 'BJP-Church alliance' who had quoted the book to claim that the RSS views Christians as enemies.