Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Faces Backlash Over 'Ignorant' Remark About Priest

The controversy began when Geevarghese Coorilos, former Metropolitan of the Niranam Diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, criticised the ruling Left Front on Facebook.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's recent comments calling a priest "ignorant" have sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties. On Saturday, both the Congress and the BJP condemned Vijayan's remarks, highlighting ongoing tensions in the state's political landscape following the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Controversy

The controversy began when Geevarghese Coorilos, former Metropolitan of the Niranam Diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, criticised the ruling Left Front on Facebook. Coorilos, known for his pro-Left views, remarked that "floods and epidemics do not always come to the rescue and people in Kerala will not fall more than once in 'kit politics'," referring to the LDF's reliance on crisis management for political support. In response, CM Vijayan as per PTI dismissed the priest's comments, stating that "even among priests there are sometimes some ignorant persons."

When asked by reporters about his post, Coorilos declined to elaborate, saying, "That topic is closed. I have said what I had to say on the issue. I am not going to say anything more."

Opposition Reacts

In connection with the comment, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala sarcastically dubbed Vijayan "the most knowledgeable person in the state," criticising him for his habit of calling priests "wretched creatures" and "ignorant." Chennithala argued that political leaders should handle criticism calmly and thoughtfully, rather than dismissing it outright.

"Is it appropriate to call a priest or bishop ignorant if he expresses his view on something? How can you call those who criticise the government or the CM a wretched creature or ignorant? It is not right to do so," the Congress leader said, as per the report.

BJP leader V. Muraleedharan echoed this sentiment, accusing Vijayan of intolerance towards dissent. "He is intolerant towards those who disagree with him. That is what he showed back then and even yesterday," Muraleedharan said, recalling an earlier incident where Vijayan, then CPI(M) state secretary, referred to the former Bishop of Thamarassery diocese, Mar Paul Chittilappilly, as a "wretched creature."

Muraleedharan also suggested that the priest's criticism of the LDF reflects broader public sentiment in Kerala. "What the priest said about the LDF is what the people of Kerala were also thinking," he asserted.