JP Nadda, the national president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been trying to woo Christian voters in Kerala met two Catholic bishops in the state privately, according to reports. The meeting took place on September 25, when Nadda reached Kottayam to inaugurate the newly constructed BJP office.
A report in The Hindu said that Nadda met Knanaya Catholic Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Changanassery, Mar Joseph Perumthottam at the premises of Caritas hospital. The report also mentioned the possibility of floating a BJP-backed Christian organisation in Kerala.
However, neither the church leadership nor the BJP leaders have yet come out in the open about this meeting. Over the past few years, some Catholic church leaders in Kerala have gravitated towards the BJP and made statements considered Islamophobic. Some of the bishops had made allegations against Muslims in the state accusing them of employing ‘Love Jihad’ and Narcotic Jihad. The most recent among them was a letter by Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplani to all churches under the diocese in the first week of September, warning that some extremist groups are attempting to trap the Christian girls.
'Love jihad' is a term coined by exponents of Hindutva targeting Muslims. The fallacious concept alleges that Muslim men lure, seduce and trap Hindu women by pretending to be in love with them, and then deceive them by compelling the women to convert to Islam in order to get married.
Some of the organisations like Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA) have spoken out against ‘Love Jihad’ at the recent Hindu mahasabha held in April in Thiruvananthapuram. CASA, which has been running a campaign against halal food is also known for inflammatory posts in social media targeting the Muslim community. Some of the prominent priests of Catholic church including Xavier Khan Vattayil have extended their support to CASA, while some others have opposed.
Some members of the CASA are also active in the BJP’s Minority Morcha. But CASA hasn’t yet officially declared direct ties with the BJP. However, sources in CASA said there is a possibility of turning the organisation into a political outfit with the backing of BJP.