Kerala BJP Alleges Attacks On Christians Who Joined Party, Vows 'Strong Retaliation'
According to a BJP spokesperson, members of the Christian minority have faced "brutal cyber attacks" since joining the saffron party.
The BJP said on Sunday that members of Kerala's Christian community who recently joined the party are being targeted online by followers of the Congress and the CPI(M), news agency PTI reported. The saffron party, which has been actively courting the state's Christian population, has warned of harsh reprisal against anyone implicated in the attacks. This comes only a day after a Christian priest and over 50 families from Kerala's minority community joined the saffron party.
According to a BJP spokesperson, members of the Christian minority have faced "brutal cyber attacks" since joining the saffron party.
Speaking with media, BJP state president K Surendran stated: "We will protect them at any cost. We will fight tooth and nail against those who make any move against them. There will be a strong retaliation."
The BJP representative claimed both the Congress and the BJP were extremely hostile to the inclusion of the minority group in the party.
Minority community members, including priests who joined the BJP, were intimidated, according to Surendran.
Individuals who seek to humiliate and assault them personally will meet harsh repercussions, according to him.
On Saturday, some 50 Christian families joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister V Muraleedharan, including Fr Shaiju Kurien, Secretary of the Orthodox Church Nilakkal Bhadrasanam in Pathanamthitta district in southern Kerala.
According to a Facebook post by the saffron party, numerous persons from the Kerala Congress (Jacob) faction also joined the party on Saturday in the presence of state president Surendran in Thrissur district in central Kerala.
The party ascribed the appeal to minorities entering its ranks to the Narendra Modi-led government's innovative approach to development.
"Over the past decade, the Modi government has shown a strong dedication to development. This is a significant factor motivating minorities to support and join the BJP," the party was quoted by PTI in its report.
The BJP also stated that it is working to eliminate the myth that misleading propaganda might drive minorities away from the party.
This comes just after the saffron party resumed its 'Sneha Yatra,' an outreach drive aimed at interacting with the state's Christian population.
"The BJP can dispel misconceptions among minority groups through programmes like Sneha Yatra. It is certain that more people will join the BJP in the coming days to be a part of development politics," the party said.
In response, the Congress said that "the Sangh Parivar is a movement that targets Christians across India." V D Satheesan, Kerala's Assembly Leader, accused the BJP of being "a wolf in sheep's clothing, infiltrating Christian homes." He told reporters in Kochi that Christians in Kerala have the knowledge to identify their actual objectives.
Satheesan noted that the Congress has a secular attitude, which is constant even in Karnataka.
The BJP state chief resumed the Sneha Yatra last week, visiting top priests of various churches in the state, including Cardinal George Alencherry, the former head of the prominent Syro-Malabar Church, and Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparbil of the Latin Archdiocese of Verapoly, to convey Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Christmas greetings.
Although several top bishops of various religions have made pro-BJP speeches in the state recently, the alleged silence of the party-led Union government on the Manipur violence problem has caused schisms among them.
The state Congress party has harshly slammed the BJP's attempt to reach out to the Christian minority, claiming that it is not a "Sneha Yatra," or journey of love, but rather a "Kiss of Judas."
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