Political turmoil broke out in Kerala following a polarizing church address by a Catholic priest in which he accused extremists Targeting non-Muslims through “love jihad” and “narcotics jihad”.
Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt had claimed that jihadists were trying to sow the seeds of communalism and intolerance in Kerala and forcibly converting people of other religions.
Amid widespread outrage over the bishop’s provocative remarks, Kerala’s Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that religious leaders with the power to influence people should not make statements that lead to division.
The Kerala CM also stated that the narcotics threat is a social, not a religious issue, so a particular religious community should not be singled out and blamed for it for no reason.
“Pala Bishop is a religious leader with the power to influence people. In situations like this, we should make sure that we are not creating a gap. We hear numbing jihad for the first time. The narcotics problem is not related to any religion, it is a social problem. We should all work to end a social problem and all legal steps against it should be stepped up, ”said Pinarayi Vijayan.
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In response to the controversy, Congress MLA VD Satheesan exhorted religious leaders to make statements that disrupt communal harmony in Kerala.
“Do not destroy the peaceful atmosphere and mutual trust. I humbly ask the community and spiritual leaders not to make any further statements that destroy the peaceful atmosphere in Kerala and mutual faith among people. Crime has no caste, religion, or gender. ”Satheesan wrote in a Facebook post.
On the other hand, the BJP supported Bishop Kallarangatt and called for an investigation into allegations of narcotic jihad.
BJP Leader K Surendran said, “If Pala Bishop said this, it was from his experience. Pala Bishop’s testimony on drug jihad needs to be investigated. It’s nothing new and people shouldn’t attack the bishop to make money on narcotics, that’s the truth. “
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Meanwhile, the Kottayam Taluk Mahal Coordinating Committee for Muslims has filed a complaint against Bishop Kallarangatt. The complaint required that the Catholic priest should be brought under Section 153 of the IPC because his testimony was aimed at disrupting communal harmony in society.
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