Mumbai: Christians see red over cardinal's preference of BJP

The Christian community in Mumbai has expressed shock over a political statement made by Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) president Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil.

According to sources, the cardinal's recently released biography, Straight from the Heart, opined that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is far less evil than the Marxists.

Seeking a clarification over the opinion, Bombay Catholic Sabha president Dolphy D'Souza said, "We are shocked and dismayed at the statement made by the cardinal."

"We hold no brief for the BJP or the Marxists, but to compare them and what they stand for is odious in the least. The statement of cardinal hurts our sensibilities. It mirrors the divisive polity used by political parities like the BJP to victimise our brethren on the grounds of being a minority."

The cardinal substantiated his opinion by stating that the Marxists' lack faith in the existence of God unlike the other.

"We are absolutely shocked that one of the leaders of the church has chosen to speak in this fashion, that too when elections are round the corner. The church has all along maintained that we need to vote on secular lines and this statement is misleading," DNA News quoted D'Souza.

Fr Paul Thelakat, who is the author of the book and the spokesperson of the Syro Malabar Church, Kerala, clarified that the cardinal has shared his personal views without any political context.

"The cardinal is aware that Christians face hardships from both Marxists and Hindutva (a reference to the BJP) forces, but his inclination towards the BJP stems from his dislike of Marxian ideology that is driven purely on suppression. This in no way means he is belittling the problems created by BJP and will steadfastly support as well identify with the grievances faced by the community," Thelakat explained.