CPM leader Saji Cheriyan.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: With the bishops stepping up their protest, Kerala cultural affairs minister and CPM leader Saji Cheriyan has withdrawn his ridiculing remark against bishops who attended the Prime Minister's Christmas feast, but firmly stuck to his resentment over not raising the Manipur issue during the meeting.
Cheriyan also backed his version by highlighting the attack on the Christian community in the country after the BJP came to power.
Cheriyan's partial withdrawal of his statement came close on the heels of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council president Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis stating that the council would not cooperate with the government unless the minister withdrew his statement.
Moreover, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is holding a Christmas feast on Wednesday to which all prominent church heads are invited.
Cheriyan on Sunday accused the church heads of remaining silent on the Manipur issue during the meeting with Modi. He ridiculed that some church heads enjoyed grape wine and cake but forgot to raise the Manipur issue. He also added that some bishops would feel excited on getting invitations from BJP leaders. This had irked the church heads.
Cheriyan said on Tuesday that as many as 700 instances of attacks on Christian community took place in the country during the last year. Most of these incidents took place in BJP ruled states. There has been a steep rise in attacks on Christians in the country over the last nine years of BJP rule. The BJP also failed to settle the Manipur violence. Hence he stuck to his political position that the Manipur issue should have been raised at the meeting with the Prime Minister.
He said that his remarks on wine and cake seemed to have hurt the bishops and hence he was withdrawing it.