Kerala bishop faces heat over ‘love, narcotic Jihad’ remark
Muslim panel lodges complaint with police against Kallarangatt
Aday after Syro Malabar Church Pala diocese bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt said Catholic girls in Kerala were now becoming the victims of ‘love and narcotic Jihad’, the Muslim Coordination Committee at Kottayam filed a petition demanding registering of a non-bailable case for his remarks.
Addressing the media at Kottayam yesterday, the officebearers said they have filed the petition before the Kottayam Police as not a single agency has ever said with any conclusive proof about such a thing happening in the state and, hence his statement is with communal overtures.
Congress working president and senior legislator P.T. Thomas said the statement of the bishop does not help in bringing harmony in a secular state.
“Statements like these are dangerous and send wrong signals and the best thing one can do is none should do anything which will act as a fuel for creating unrest,” said Thomas.
Lacking civility
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the statement of the bishop crossed all levels of civility. “Statements like these should be best avoided, especially by religious leaders as it only helps to fan trouble. The need of the hour is that religious leaders should be one who will help to face the troubles in the society and what has happened has happened and this should end here,” said Satheesan.
The bishop while speaking at a church celebration in Kottayam
district’s Kuruvilangadu had said: “Wherever arms cannot be used, narcotics are being used and it’s here Catholic girls become the victims. And to help this there is a group in Kerala which is functioning. To understand this, one needs to just analyse how come ladies from other religions reached the IS camps,” said the bishop.
Drug addiction
“As part of ‘love jihad’, ladies are getting converted and there is an increased usage of drugs by Catholic youths. All this is being done to see that no nonMuslims are there, and to help in all this there is a group and all should be cautious,” added the bishop. He went on to state that any attempt to deny that there exists ‘love Jihad’ in Kerala is like closing eyes to reality and is being done by vested interests with a reason.