Bishop’s Facebook post: row rages further with more support pouring in for bishop

Bishop’s Facebook post: row rages further with more support pouring in for bishop

The controversy ignited by a social media post from former Metropolitan Bishop Geevarghese Mar Coorilos about the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and the sharp retort from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan intensified on Saturday, with leaders from various political backgrounds rallying in support of the prelate.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the Chief Minister’s alleged disparaging comments, citing them as further evidence of his imperiousness and intolerance toward criticism. The incident also appeared to put the ruling front in an awkward position, given the bishop’s reputation as a prominent figure within the influential Syrian Christian clergy to openly espouse liberal left politics.

Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan took strong exception to the Chief Minister’s remark, arguing that calling the prelate ignorant demonstrated that Mr. Vijayan was not ready for a course correction. “Is the bishop not free to criticise the government as a citizen?” Mr. Satheesan asked.

Mr. Satheesan suggested that the bishop was pointing out a significant deviation in Mr. Vijayan’s policies toward the extreme right. “It is clear from the Chief Minister’s words yesterday that he cannot accept criticism and does not want anyone to correct him,” he added.

Several other Congress leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala and Shafi Parambil, also voiced their support for the bishop.

Meanwhile, the BJP used the occasion to highlight what it alleged to be the Chief Minister and his party’s anti-Christian stance. “Mr. Vijayan has not changed a bit from the mental state in which he once called the Bishop of Thamarassery a wretched creature,” noted V. Muraleedharan, a senior BJP leader.

Mr. Muraleedharan also asked what actions the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had taken against a leader who made abusive remarks about the Christian community following the BJP’s victory in Thrissur.