CPI M not against Church says Kerala Minister Sivankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday said the social media debate over CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan’s remarks on the "opportunistic" stance of certain Catholic bishops should not be construed as a move against the Church. In a Facebook post, Sivankutty said Govindan had criticised Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany for his "inconsistent stance" following the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh.

While the archbishop had sharply criticised the Centre initially, he later praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah after the nuns were granted bail, ignoring protests by various political groups, the minister said. He alleged that the archbishop should not take "opportunistic positions for personal gain" and criticised attempts to portray the CPI(M) as "fascist."

"It is ridiculous that those who remained silent when Christians were attacked in Chhattisgarh and Manipur are now accusing CPI(M) of fascism," Sivankutty claimed, responding to criticism from the Catholic Congress. The Catholic Congress stated that the Church does not require "diktats" from the CPI(M) to adopt a stance on issues.

Sivankutty said CPI(M) leaders have actively visited Manipur, Odisha, and other parts of the country during attacks on Christians and carried out relief work. "CPI(M) has never acted against the Christian community, but will take a strong stand against those who betray believers and adopt the Sangh Parivar’s position for personal gain," he claimed. (PTI)