BJP’s outreach to Christian community in Kerala faces backlash
The Hindu
BJP's outreach to Kerala's Christian community faces backlash, sparking political tensions and accusations of anti-minority sentiments.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) expanding outreach to the Christian community in Kerala appears to risk running into significant socio-political headwinds.
In a seemingly sarcastic social media post on Christmas Eve on Tuesday (December 24, 2024), Yuhanon Meletius, the Metropolitan bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church’s Thrissur Diocese, appeared to spotlight the sharply contrasting aspects of the BJP’s attempt to court the Christian community in Kerala.
In a seemingly oblique reference to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) alleged attempt to disrupt the Christmas celebrations at a government school in Palakkad recently, the Metropolitan bishop noted that cribs (depicting the nativity of Jesus Christ) were “revered in some places and vandalised in other regions.”
Notably, the Palakkad police were investigating the destruction of a manger erected by students in front of the Government UP School, Thathamangalam, as well.
The bishop’s post came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Church leaders and participated in Christmas celebrations hosted by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI) in New Delhi. Mr. Modi quoted from the Bible and said Jesus Christ epitomised compassion and selfless service.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Congress, smarting from BJP candidate Suresh Gopi’s thumping victory in Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, where Christians form a sizeable electoral bloc, seized on the Christmas disruption at the Nallepilly Government Upper Primary School in Palakkad to put the BJP on the defensive.
Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Youth Congress activists protested in Palakkad, singing Christmas carols and dressing up as Santa Claus, even as the BJP’s rank and file fanned out across Kerala, knocking on the doors of parishioners and Church leaders to convey Mr. Modi’s festival greetings.
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