Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 13 (PTI) The BJP on Thursday accused the CPI(M) of insulting churches in Kerala and alleged that the members of the Christian community were targeted by religious extremist groups like Popular Front of India (PFI) under the Left rule.

Referring to the remarks against certain Christian priests in the editorial of the latest issue of the CPI(M) organ People's Democracy, BJP state president K Surendran said it is only a delusion of the Communist Party that it can repel religious priests by insulting and making defamatory statements against them.

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The editorial has alleged that the BJP is using intimidation as a tool by initiating investigations against leaders of various churches in cases of money laundering. The editorial also named a few influential Christian bishops who, according to the CPI(M), were allegedly intimidated by the Central agencies.

Hitting back at the CPI(M), Surendran alleged that Christians were subjected to persecution under the Left rule in Kerala.

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Recalling the incident of a violent attack by PFI activists 13 years ago against a teacher from the Christian community for allegedly insulting Islam in an exam paper, the BJP leader said it had happened when the CPI(M) was in power. He alleged that it was the Communist Party that created the situation of chopping off the professor's hand.

"The position of the CPI(M) is that all religious leaders who do not accept their stand should be targeted. The CPI(M) should understand that India is not a communist country like China and Cuba. No one should think that the freedom of expression of Christian priests in Kerala can be curtailed," Surendran said.

The war of words between the BJP and the CPI(M) erupted after the saffron party carried out an outreach programme to the houses of the Christians to greet them last Sunday on the occasion of Easter.

Meanwhile, the supreme leader of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, on Thursday said that his Church has no affinity or enmity with any political parties.

In a video message, the priest said any political party that emphasises secularism will be a friend of the church.

He said the members of the church are working for all political parties, and for this reason, it was not interested in taking positions in favour of any political party. "However, if any activity that threatens secularism comes from any political party, it will be criticised and resisted," the priest said, adding no one except for himself and the official spokesperson is authorised to clarify the general position of the Church.

His statement comes a day after a bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala said that "unnecessary propaganda" claiming that the Christian community is persecuted in India has been unleashed internationally by vested interests, and that it amounted to insulting a great nation.

There are communal organisations among all religious groups, but the ultimate goal of religions and such outfits is different, Geevarghese Mar Yulios, the metropolitan of the Kunnamkulam Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, had said on Wednesday.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)