An archdiocese mouthpiece of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala has hit out against the BJP and its leader Suresh Gopi over the latter’s remarks about the situation in Manipur.

Catholica Sabha, the mouthpiece of the Thrissur archdiocese of the Church, in its November edition headlined an article stating that ‘Manipur will not be forgotten.’

“With elections approaching, there is a big attempt in Kerala to cover up the Manipur riots. The party wanting to return to power at the centre again is taking special interest in this. An example of that is a cinema dialogue-like statement of a party leader who wishes to ‘take’ Thrissur. He says, ‘Don’t look at Manipur or UP. There are men who can handle matters there.’ But the people are asking whether there are ‘men’ here who dare to ask the prime minister or the BJP central leadership what they were doing while Manipur burned,” the newspaper article said, referring to the statement made by former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Suresh Gopi.

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Gopi, who has starred in over 250 films mostly in Malayalam before switching to politics and joining the BJP, is expected to be the party’s candidate in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, where he had contested unsuccessfully in 2019 as well.

The Catholic newspaper, published once a month, alleged that the neglect of the Manipur state government was a licence for the attackers. “Those who believe in democracy will not forget that. Therefore, people are vigilant against those who are trying to seek votes by covering up Manipur.

“People across the world have realised that the ‘men’ of the Central government could not control the violence in Manipur. Even a resolution was passed against India in the European Parliament,” it said.

Gopi or the BJP has not reacted to the article.

The Catholic newspaper’s stand is seen as a setback for the BJP which has been wooing the Christian community in Kerala for quite some time. Christians comprise nearly 19 percent of the population in the state and PM Modi, during his visit to the state in April this year, had met eight top leaders of various Christian denominations.