Mulakkal interfering in Jalandhar diocese, say protesting nuns
It comes a day after the diocese countered an e-mail to nun that they will not be ousted from the convent
after they complained to him against the head of their congregation, Missionaries of Jesus under the Jalandhar diocese, for issuing transfer orders to four of them who took part in the protest demanding the arrest of Mulakkal.
Another nun, Sister Neena Rose, who is staying with the rape survivor, was asked to report to the Missionaries of Jesus congregation’s Jalandhar convent and meet its superior general Regina Kandamthottu on January 26.
Kavumpuram, issued a clarification countering bishop Angelo hours after his e-mail communication was made public, saying even though the congregation of Missionaries of Jesus is of diocesan right, the internal running of the congregation is left to the superior general and her council.
“The bishop of Jalandhar does not normally interfere unless the overall interests of the church demand such interference. By this clarification, the apostolic administrator has not interfered in the internal affairs of this congregation, therefore the order to return to their rightful communities by the mother general is not cancelled but stands,” the statement quoting Fr Kavumpuram had said.
The protesting nuns stay with the survivor nun in the convent in Kuravilangad. Talking to media on Sunday, Sister Anupama rejected the clarification statement issued by Kavumpuram, saying they would not move out of the convent in Kuravilangad. “Clarification statement (issued by Kavumpuram) is not acceptable for us. We will continue to stay in this convent till the case is over,” she said.
The congregation of nuns -Missionaries of Jesus -- had directed the nuns to join their previously-assigned convents, according to the transfer orders issued between March and May last year.the nuns Alphy, Anupama, Josephine and Ancitta were served notice by the superior general. GURDASPUR: In the wake of the demise of actor-politician Vinod Khanna, who remained MP from the Gurdaspur seat for four times, the Bharatiya Janata Party is finding it difficult to find someone who could carry the day as the Congress, the ruling party in the state, is likely to field a heavyweight this time as well.
When the seat fell vacant after Khanna’s death in April 2017, the saffron party could not retain it in the bypoll held in October that year. Party candidate Swaran Salaria, a Mumbai-based businessman and a native of a village in Pathankot district, was defeated by state Congress president Sunil Jakhar by a thumping margin of 1.93 lakh votes.
Salaria is trying to get the party ticket this time too, it is learnt. To strengthen his claim, he made it a point to remain present on the stage during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Gurdaspur on January 3.
But Modi’s praise for late Vinod Khanna in the presence of his wife Kavita Khanna made her claim for the ticket stronger. She has started meeting people and the party rank and file in the constituency to mobilise their support for her candidature. “I want to realise the dreams of my husband. I am ready to shift to Gurdaspur
MULAKKAL WAS ARRESTED LAST YEAR AFTER ALLEGATIONS BY A NUN THAT HE RAPED HER BETWEEN 2014 AND 2016
permanently,” she said addressing a gathering recently.
Also, the name of Vinod Khanna’s son from his first wife, Akshaye Khanna, is also doing the rounds for the ticket.
Among local party leaders, the names of former BJP state president Ashwani Sharma, ex-minister Master Mohan Lal and Sujanpur MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu are also doing the rounds. Of
these,babbu’s claim is the strongest as he is a three-time MLA.
From the Congress’ side, sitting MP Sunil Jakhar, who has a good electoral record, is most likely to be the ruling party’s candidate from the seat.
Congress’s Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari’s statement in favour of Jakhar has also strengthened his candidature. But since Jakhar’s detractors tag him as an ‘outsider’ (he belongs to Abohar in Fazilka district), other aspirants are also hopeful to get the ticket.
Also, senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa may throw his hat in the ring. Also, Punjab Health
Systems Corporation (PHSC) chairman Amardeep Cheema applied for ticket. Both hail from Gurdaspur district.
Bajwa may try to get the ticket as his term as Rajya Sabha MP is coming to an end in 2021. Both are Jat Sikh, the community which has a sizeable presence in the constituency.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) does not have a face to reckon with from the segment. AAP’S candidate Maj Gen (retd) Suresh Khajuria finished a distant third with only 23,579 votes in the bypoll. Party sources say neither he is active in politics nor he is showing any interest to contest the upcoming polls.