Thiruvananthapuram: The head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, today, said that the holy shrine of Sabarimala the enlightenment movement working for the unification of humanity and criticized the government for failing to keep the devotees closer.
He made this statement in the presence of Devasom Minister, Kadakampally Surendran. However, the minister was out of words and did not reply to the Bishop’s remarks.
The Bishop also reminded the government that building a women’s wall would not usher in enlightenment. He was referring to the ‘Women’s Wall’ formed by CPI(M) supported women in response to the protest against Supreme Court order in Sabarimala spearheaded by BJP and RSS.
However, there were reports that women were coerced into attending the women’s wall and many were against it.
The Church’s criticism against the government comes at a time when the CPI(M) is trying to make inroads into the minority community after being rejected by the majority Hindu community. CPI(M) faced its most humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections because of the party’s stand against Hindus in Sabarimala issue.