The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) on Friday hit out at Chandy Oommen, son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, for allegedly justifying the conversion of Hagia Sophia in Turkey into a mosque.
Mr. Oommen, a Youth Congress leader, in a recent speech at a venue of the Muslim Youth League said thousands of churches were converted into dance bars and no one had any issue.
The KCBC, in a statement, said it was not right to ‘‘cultivate communalism’’ for garnering votes in election. ‘‘Young leaders should understand history while functioning as a political leader. His speech has pained the Christian community.’’
The KCBC said such communal statements will hurt society, especially before the Assembly elections.
However, Mr. Oommen, in a statement, said a part of his speech was cherry-picked to create a controversy.
On Friday evening, he issued a clarification, saying the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were spreading false news. ‘‘Those spreading false news are trying to mislead the Christian community,’’ he said, adding that it was a dangerous trend.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
