Thiruvananthapuram, December 24

The Orthodox Bishop of the Thrissur diocese ,Yuhanon Mar Meletius has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending the Christmas celebrations organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) on Monday night, calling it “a likely drama.”

Speaking to Bharathpost , the Bishop remarked that while the Prime Minister was bowing before the Christmas crib at the CBCI headquarters in New Delhi, leaders of the RSS-affiliated Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were reportedly involved in anti-Christmas activities in Palakkad, Kerala.

The Bishop referred to allegations that a group of VHP activists had disrupted a school event in Nallamangalam, Palakkad district, where children were dressed as Santa Claus and paraded on the streets.

According to him, the activists made derogatory remarks during the incident.

Additionally, there were reports of Christmas cribs being vandalized at two other schools in Palakkad district, with allegations pointing towards the involvement of RSS and VHP members.

Bishop Yuhanon Mar Meletius accused the BJP and RSS of a dual strategy: engaging with Church leadership while targeting Christian symbols and celebrations at the grassroots.

He asserted that the BJP, as the political arm of the RSS, promotes an ideology aimed at establishing upper-caste Hindu dominance in India.

“India is a secular democratic country with immense diversity. The ideology of the RSS cannot be easily implemented here,” the Bishop said.

He further emphasized the significant contributions of the Christian community in India, particularly in education, healthcare, and social service sectors.

He added that the BJP’s attempts to win over Christians at the leadership level while undermining their beliefs at the grassroots are evident and unacceptable.

The Bishop also mentioned that Hindutva organisations have started making claims over some established churches, alleging that ancient Hindu idols were once present in those churches.

In conclusion, Bishop Yuhanon Mar Meletius expressed his belief that Prime Minister Modi’s act of bowing before the Christmas crib at the CBCI headquarters was a symbolic gesture and part of a larger “drama,” inconsistent with the actions of RSS and VHP at ground level.

End