Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 17 (BPNS)
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K. Sudhakaran MP has said that the party would convene a meeting of religious heads to smoothen the tempers over the Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangat’s statement that Christian children should be guarded against Narcotic Jihad that is been pushed among the children by a specific section of the people.
The Bishop of the Pala Archdiocese, Mar Joseph Kallarangat on September 9 while speaking at a function at Marth Mariam Pilgrim Church at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district said that non-Muslims are subjected to Narcotic Jihad in Kerala. He also said that ‘Narcotic Jihad’ is involved in the spoiling of lives of non-Muslims, particularly young people by making them addicted to drugs.
After the speech of the Bishop became viral several groups came out against the Bishop especially the Muslim organisations and some extreme Muslim organisations carried out protest march towards the Pala Bishop house and even raised slogans that they would physically attack the Bishop.
Congress state president K. Sudhakaran MP after meeting a series of Muslim religious heads including Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation head, Jiffri Muthukoya Thangal and TP Abdulla Koya Madani of the Mujahid movement while speaking to media persons along with state opposition leader, V.D.Satheeshan said that the Congress was for calling a meeting of all the religious heads.
He said that to completely put out the heated tempers following the statement of the Bishop, a meeting of all the religious and community heads must be called. Sudhakaran while speaking to media persons at Kozhikode on Sunday said,” Congress is planning to convene a meeting of religious and community leaders. Such a meeting would have been convened by the state Chief Minister and as he is not doing anything, the state Congress will spearhead such a meeting.”
The state Congress chief also said that the leader of opposition in the state assembly and senior leader of the Congress party, V.D. Satheeshan had written two letters to the Chief Minister to take an initiative to call a meeting of religious heads to defuse the flayed tempers. Sudhakaran while speaking to media persons said,” The Chief Minister did not take any initiative and hence the Congress being a responsible political party in the state would be taking the initiative and convene a meeting of religious heads and community elders but will announce the date soon.”
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader, V.D. Satheeshan said, “The meeting of religious and community heads will be convened by us as the Chief Minister has not taken any initiative even after I wrote a few letters to him on the same.”
BJP leader and party state general secretary, George Kurien who was the former National Vice-Chairman of the Minority Morcha had written a letter to Union home minister,Amit Shah calling security to Mar Joseph Kallarangat, the Pala Bishop as Muslim extremists had threatened him publicly with dire consequences.
In a related development senior Congress leader and Member of Loksabha, K. Muraleedharan while addressing a public meeting at Thiruvananthapuram said that those who were instrumental in the death of Human rights activist and priest, Stan Swamy are now shedding crocodile tears, in an oblique reference to the BJP and RSS that was making a beeline towards the Pala Bishop house.
