Veteran CPI(M) leader A K Balan has called out the Central government’s alleged “anti-minority attitude,” urging the Christian church and its allied organizations to confront the issue head-on following recent attacks on clergy in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Speaking to reporters, Balan highlighted the arrest of two Malayali nuns, S Preethi Mary and S Vandana Francis, at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh, accused of religious conversion and human trafficking, as well as assaults on priests in Odisha, as evidence of a broader anti-minority agenda.

Balan sharply criticized Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany for thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah after the nuns were granted bail, accusing him of overlooking the gravity of ongoing attacks. He recalled Pamplany’s earlier promise of Christian support for the BJP if rubber prices reached ₹300, remarking, “The Archbishop should now see the reality of these attacks on nuns and priests.”

Echoing concerns raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Balan accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists to “skew voting rights” and alleged that in Muslim-majority areas, the party uses threats of repeating “Gujarat riots” to secure votes. He dismissed controversy over CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan’s visit to an astrologer, stating that party leaders engage with all communities as part of their outreach.

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The CPI(M) state secretariat has condemned the Chhattisgarh arrests as a violation of constitutional rights, emphasizing that the Constitution protects the right to practice and propagate religion. The party criticized the inaction against Bajrang Dal activists who handed the nuns to police, calling it a sign of complicity by Chhattisgarh authorities. Balan’s remarks come amid rising tensions, with reports indicating a surge in attacks on Christians nationwide since 2014, from the killing of Graham Staines to the death of Stan Swamy.

As Kerala’s CPI(M) intensifies its critique of the BJP’s alleged anti-minority stance, Balan’s call to the Church underscores a broader push for solidarity against perceived communal tactics, setting the stage for heated political debates ahead of upcoming elections.

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