CM Vijayan and Congress Critique Withdrawn RSS Article on Church Land
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Synopsis
On April 5, 2023, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders criticized the RSS for a now-retracted article on church land holdings. They expressed concerns over a broader agenda targeting minorities, following the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill.
Key Takeaways
- Kerala leaders condemn RSS article on church land.
- Rahul Gandhi warns of targeting Christians after Muslims.
- Concerns raised over Waqf Amendment Bill implications.
- Vijayan calls for unity among secular forces.
- Silence from the Catholic Church on the matter.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 (NationPress) - The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, along with state Congress President K. Sudhakaran and others, criticized the RSS mindset on Saturday after the organization retracted an article from its mouthpiece discussing the land ownership of the Catholic Church and the Waqf Board.
Following the publication of this article, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, remarked that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now targeting Christians after Muslims.
This week, Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill amid intense discussions. During these debates, opposition members voiced concerns that this legislation aims at Waqf properties, hinting that the government could soon target other minority groups, including Christians.
While attending the ongoing 24th Party Congress of his party, CPI-M, in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, Vijayan expressed his thoughts via his X account. He stated, "The article in the RSS mouthpiece @eOrganiser regarding the Church's land ownership, published immediately after the Waqf Amendment Act passage, exposes the Sangh Parivar’s entrenched hostility towards minorities. Although it has been withdrawn, it demonstrates a systematic attempt to target and alienate minorities and their institutions. It is imperative for secular forces to unite against this," he wrote.
Sudhakaran described the RSS mouthpiece's article as bizarre and a source of communal discord, stating, "This article claims that the Catholic Church holds the most land and fixed assets after the government, followed by Waqf assets. This mouthpiece produces completely unfounded reports, including one suggesting that Congress MP Benny Behanan resigned in protest against the party's stance on the Waqf Bill. I fail to comprehend why such falsehoods are circulated," added Sudhakaran, who also represents Kannur in the Lok Sabha.
K.C. Venugopal, Congress General Secretary for Organization, remarked that the article in Organiser clearly indicates that Christians are the next target after Muslims.
He commented, "We have reached a point where 'vested interests' are orchestrating a plan to incite conflicts among Hindus, Muslims, and Christians in Kerala. Look at the situation surrounding the film Empuraan, while nothing happened to those associated with films like Kashmir Files and Kerala Story," referencing the ED raids at the home and office of Gokulam Gopalan, co-producer of Empuraan.
In the meantime, the Catholic Church has chosen to remain silent regarding the article.
