Archbishop Pamplany is an 'opportunist', implies Kerala CM

Kannur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has implied that Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany was an 'opportunist' for allegedly pledging support to the BJP if they raised the price of rubber.

Addressing an event commemorating the life of late communist leader AK Gopalan, at Peralasseri in the district on Wednesday, Pinarayi went on a tirade against the Archbishop without specifically naming him.

At a public meeting of rubber farmers, Archbishop Pamplany had declared support for the BJP-ruled Centre. "...whichever be your party, we will vote for you if you raise the rubber price to Rs 300 and take the rubber from the farmers. Then the people of the high-range will give you an MP," Pamplany had said.

“Just because the Sangh Parivar has found some opportunists to please, they need not think the general sentiment of Kerala is in their favour,” Pinarayi said.

The veteran CPM leader said Kerala has shown zero tolerance toward communalism for decades. But “unfortunately, the Sangh Parivar is now attempting to appease some important people of the minority communities”.

“They are trying different ways, either by appeasement or private threats or temptations. Why? They need votes and for that, they are approaching some big guns of minority communities.

“The RSS and Sangh Parivar are the faces of communalism, and their political form is BJP. Those with secular views understand that and they are isolating the BJP.”

The chief minister has claimed that there was hardly any acceptance of the Sangh Parivar's agenda in Kerala. But “some people can be trapped, and such people don't belong to the general majority, they don't share the public sentiment, which is secularism”.

Earlier, the chief minister referred to the alleged atrocities committed by the Sangh Parivar against minorities in the country. He mentioned the murders of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his sons in Odisha.