“The defamatory statements by P C George and his son against Catholic Church and Deepika are deplorable. Such actions have the backing of BJP leadership. Realising that they may not receive the expected votes in the elections, BJP leadership has resorted to intimidation,” Satheesan said, adding that if there is an attempt to attack Christian community, secular Kerala will resist and defeat it and UDF will be at the forefront of counter actions.BJP central and state leaderships must clarify their stance on the derogatory remarks made by George and Shone, he said.“Sangh Parivar organisations are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Those who hunt Christians nationwide are the ones visiting (their clergy’s) palaces with cakes for votes. The people of Kerala have the practical wisdom to recognise Sangh Parivar’s deceit. Their agenda of intimidation and defamation will not succeed in Kerala,” Satheesan said. BJP trying to ‘intimidate’ Church: ChennithalaSenior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday alleged that BJP was trying to intimidate bishops and Church leaders to make them support that party and added that such tactics would not work in Kerala.Chennithala was referring to the critical remarks made by George and Shone against certain bishops over their reported stance in the assembly polls. He said that Church leadership had the right to express its views.“The politics of intimidation won’t work in Kerala. No party has adopted that stand in the state,” he said.“It is unfortunate. Everyone knows the atrocities committed by the BJP against Christian community in North India,” Chennithala said.“If such statements were made without the knowledge of the BJP leadership, the party should reject them,” he said.Hibi slams father-son duoIn a strong rebuttal to George and Shone, KPCC vice-president Hibi Eden stated that the duo should not attempt to use “intimidation and bargaining tactics” in Kerala. If they expect favours from BJP, they should take that and remain silent rather than threatening others, he added.Eden accused George and Shone of executing a “quotation” for BJP aimed at inciting conflict between Christian and Muslim communities. He claimed that the duo is lashing out at the Catholic Church and its bishops out of a desperate fear of political failure.“We are curious to know if the national and state leaderships of the BJP share the same derogatory stance that these two have adopted toward the clergy,” Eden told reporters here. Congress has always stood at the forefront of protecting minority rights, he said, citing their intense protests against the FCRA Amendment Bill both inside and outside Parliament.Eden dismissed the idea that minorities need the protection of the BJP to survive in Kerala. “Christians do not require the generosity of Rajeev Chandrasekhar or the BJP to live peacefully in the state. If there are any attempts to attack Christian institutions or media houses, Congress will provide the necessary protection. BJP is using its national power to bully minorities in a state where the party has failed to win a single seat,” he said.Eden specifically targeted Shone, accusing him of deceiving the Christian community for personal political gain. Eden alleged that Shone’s primary role has been to facilitate meetings between religious leaders and top BJP officials like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, only to exploit those connections later.“Shaone has been misleading Church for a long time. Whether it is the Munambam issue or FCRA bill, they have used the ‘Thank You, Modi’ slogan to appease BJP while simultaneously betraying the interests of Christian community,” Eden said.He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FCRA Amendment Bill, which he described as a tool for “minority hunting” by the central govt. He reiterated that the attempt to spread a narrative that Christians must live at the mercy of the BJP is delusional and will be resisted by the secular fabric of Kerala.The political confrontation stems from the intensifying battle for the Christian vote bank in central Kerala. George and Shone, who merged their Janapaksham (Secular) party with the BJP, have positioned themselves as defenders of Christian interests against “encroachments” and have actively facilitated dialogues between the Church hierarchy and the BJP central leadership, Congress leaders allege.
