Kerala BJP's 'love' towards Christians is fake: Ex party leader

Palakkad, Dec 23 (IANS) Former BJP leader Sandeep Warrier, once a prominent youth face of the party in Kerala, has accused the state BJP leaders of feigning affection towards Christians and Christianity.

“The BJP’s newfound ‘love’ for Christians is fake and a mere camouflage,” Warrier said on Monday. His statement follows his recent resignation from the BJP during the Palakkad assembly by-election last month, where he joined the Congress, surprising many.

Warrier’s remarks come amid an incident in Palakkad where three activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were arrested for disrupting Christmas celebrations at a government school. The Kerala Police charged them with spreading religious hatred following a complaint by the school headmistress, Jayanthi.

The incident occurred on Friday when teachers and students were celebrating Christmas. The group allegedly barged in, insisting that no celebrations should occur unless Sri Krishna Jayanthi celebrations were also observed.

According to Warrier, two of the arrested individuals -- K. Anilkumar, V. Susasanan, and K. Velayudhan -- are known BJP activists who were actively involved in the recent Palakkad by-election campaign.

Union Minister of State for Fisheries, George Kurian, condemned the incident, stating, “It should never have happened. I appreciate the Kerala government’s action against it. Celebrations like Christmas or those in the name of Mohammed Nabi should be encouraged to help children learn about all religions.”

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan expressed skepticism about the BJP’s involvement in the incident. “Even today, Prime Minister Modi is meeting Christian Church leaders. Let the police investigation proceed,” he said.

The headmistress’ complaint noted that during the Christmas celebrations, a group entered the school compound, shouting slogans against the event and questioning why no Sri Krishna Jayanthi celebrations had been held on campus.