Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP on Sunday claimed members of the Christian community who recently joined the party in Kerala were being subjected to brutal cyber attacks by Congress and CPM supporters. The saffron party, which has been actively courting the Christian community in the state, issued a warning of strong retaliation against those involved in the attacks. 

This comes a day after a Christian priest and around 50 families from the minority community joined the saffron party in Kerala. A BJP spokesman claimed that members of the Christian community have been subjected to "brutal cyber attacks" since joining the saffron party.

"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," BJP state president K Surendran told reporters. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress and the BJP were viewing the joining of the minority community in the party with utmost intolerance. 

The minority community members, including the priests who joined the BJP, were threatened, Surendran said. He said that individuals attempting to humiliate and attack them personally, through various means, will face severe consequences. 

Around 50 Christian families, including Fr Shaiju Kurien, Secretary of the Orthodox Church Nilakkal Bhadrasanam in Pathanamthitta district in southern Kerala, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, the saffron party said many people from the Kerala Congress (Jacob) faction also joined the party in the presence of the state president Surendran in Thrissur district in central Kerala on Saturday.

The party attributed the appeal to minorities joining its ranks to the visionary approach to development under the leadership of the Narendra Modi-led government.

"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 said. 

The BJP also said that it is dispelling the notion that false propaganda can keep minorities away from the party. 

This development comes shortly after the saffron party resumed its 'Sneha Yatra,' an outreach programme aimed at connecting with the Christian community in the state.

"The BJP can dispel misconceptions among minority groups through programmes like Sneha Yatra. More people will certainly join the BJP in the coming days to be a part of development politics," the party said.

Responding to the development, the Congress alleged that "the Sangh Parivar is a movement that targets Christians across India." 

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan alleged that the BJP in Kerala is like "a wolf in sheep's clothing, infiltrating Christian homes." 

Christians in Kerala have the wisdom to recognise their true intentions, he told reporters in Kochi. The Congress maintains a secular stance, a position consistent even in Karnataka, Satheesan added. 

Resuming the Sneha Yatra last week, the BJP state chief visited 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 Christmas greetings from the Prime Minister.

Although many senior bishops of various denominations have made pro-BJP statements on several occasions in the state in recent times, the alleged silence of the party-led Union government on the Manipur violence issue had created differences between them.

The Congress party in the state has strongly criticised the BJP's initiative to reach out to the Christian community, stating that it is not a "Sneha Yatra," the journey of love, but rather the "kiss of Judas."
(With PTI inputs)