Thiruvananthapuram: A day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hit back at him, the former metropolitan of Niranam Diocese of Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church Dr Geevarghese Mar Coorilos said that he never reacted to personal comments.
The CM on Friday stated that there were “ignorants” among priests while responding to a Facebook post by the bishop. The latter had said that the government cannot always rely on floods and pandemics for political rescue and that people in Kerala will not fall for 'kit politics' more than once.
On Saturday, when reporters asked the priest as to why he had put up the post, Mar Coorilos said he had nothing to say on the matter as all that he had to say was mentioned on his Facebook page. "That topic is closed. I have said what I had to say on the issue. I am not going to say anything more," he said.
When his reaction was sought to the CM's remark calling him "ignorant", he said, "I have never reacted to personal remarks and that is not going to happen ever". He also made it clear that his heart was always with the Left front and it shall continue to be so.
Mar Coorilos and his Facebook post
Mar Coorilos, in his social media post, stated that if the Left-wing in Kerala does not learn from the present public discontent, it will face a situation similar to West Bengal and Tripura. He attributed the Left's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections to strong anti-government sentiment in Kerala, which he claimed the CPM denies but is a reality.
According to the priest, the failures of the Vijayan government stem from several factors: Failed economic policies, lack of discipline, extravagance, media persecution, intolerance of criticism, repressive police policies, SFI's violent politics, attempts to appease various caste-religious organisations, right-wing policies, corruption including in corporate banks, and the abolition of pensions, among others.
He also criticised Vijayan and his administration for targeting Rahul Gandhi, who he said fought bravely against fascism, more than his fight against the BJP. "Compared to the first Vijayan government, the decline in standards in the second term is a major reason for its failure. The performance of most ministers is pathetic. If arrogance and extravagance continue, there will be bigger setbacks."
Mar Coorilos warned that the government cannot always rely on floods and pandemics for political rescue. "The issues run deep and require deeper treatment. The Left should remain true to its values. Turning right with a left-turn signal will lead to accidents and prevent reaching the intended destination," he added.
Pinarayi’s reply
Speaking at an event in Thiruvananthapuram, where he released the progress card of the state government's achievements over the past year, CM Vijayan said; "I have seen a priest write that it was the Kerala floods that secured the CPM-led LDF government a second term in office.” He added that some people seem to wish for another flood in Kerala. Vijayan also emphasised that his administration has fulfilled almost all of the 600 promises made to the people during their tenure.
(With PTI inputs)
