Union Home Minister Amit Shah called on Mar Andrews Thazhath, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Thrissur during his visit to Kochi on Sunday.

Shah, who was in the city to attend a private event, shared a photograph of his meeting with the senior bishop of the Catholic Church in Kerala.

Details about the meeting are yet to be known, but it is seen as a likely continuation of the BJP's attempt to connect with churchgoers in Kerala.

In April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met senior bishops of various churches in Kerala during his visit to the state.

Modi, who was in Kerala to inaugurate the state's first Vande Bharat Express, met eight spiritual leaders, including Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

A few weeks before that, the BJP had organised an outreach campaign. As part of it, BJP leaders visited Christian families in Kerala on the occasion of Easter.

As part of the outreach programme, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, John Barla, also met Archbishop Thazhath in April.

Last December, Archbishop Thazhath met the prime minister in Delhi. He had said the meeting was about inviting Pope Francis to India.

'Mind feels calm in Kerala'
Earlier in the day, Amit Shah said he loves visiting Kerala. "Whenever I reach Kerala, my mind feels calm and happy," said Shah while addressing a private event in the city.

He said Adi Shankaracharya, Ayyankali, Sree Narayana Guru and Amritanandamayi have had an influence on his feelings towards the state.

In February this year, the Home Minister claimed that Kerala was unsafe.