Top Kerala Bishop Mar Joseph Pamplany's 'Promise' For Lok Sabha Seat To BJP Kicks Of Row

An influential Archbishop has created ripples in the political waters of Kerala by saying that BJP's dearth of an MP from the southern state would be addressed if the Centre promised to increase the price of rubber procurement to Rs 300 per kilogram. Mar Joseph Pamplany of the influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, speaking at a meeting attended mostly by farmers, said,"No protest in a democracy has value if it does not translate into votes during elections."

"We will tell the central government that whichever your party may be, we will vote for you if you can increase the price of rubber to Rs 300. The migrant population will address the issue of your lack of an MP from here," he had said.

The archbishop's statement comes a couple of weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, buoyed by his party's poll performance in three minority dominated northeastern states, said the BJP alliance would form a government in Kerala considering the increasing support of minorities for the saffron party.

The BJP said that it welcomes the suggestion and will speak to central leadership for the implementation of the same. However, the party also accused the ruling Left in Kerala and the Congress of treating Christians in the state like a "vote bank" and not allowing them to express their views freely if they favour the party in power at the Centre.

Addressing a press conference, Union Minister V Muraleedharan welcomed a senior bishop's statement in Kerala that their community can help the BJP if the party addresses the concerns of farmers.

He, however, accused the Left and the Congress -- the two main parties in the state -- of targeting those religious leaders of Christians whose statements tend to support the BJP.

Joined by BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan and former Union minister K J Alphons, Muraleedharan said the bishop has been targeted, including online, for his views.

"Do the CPI(M) and the Congress say they (Christian priests) don't have the freedom to express their views if that indirectly support the government of India. It is a ridiculous situation that both these parties claim to be pro-minorities but if Christian leaders speak some facts which may favour the government of India, then they pounce upon them," the BJP leader from the state said.

He also targeted the Congress for blaming the BJP for alleged attacks on churches, saying these incidents have been reported from Chhattisgarh where the country's main opposition party is in power. He noted that the BJP is in power in states such as Goa and those in the northeast where Christians are in large numbers.

The minister said earlier an archbishop, who had raised the issue if "narcotics jihad", was also targeted by the two parties.