Priest, 50 Christian families join BJP in Kerala, says party

The BJP also said that it is dispelling the notion that false propaganda can keep minorities away from the party.This development comes shortly after the saffron party resumed its Sneha Yatra, an outreach programme aimed at connecting with the Christian community in the state.

The BJP, which has been wooing the Christian community in Kerala for some time, has said that a priest and around 50 families from the minority community joined the party in the state.

Around 50 Christian families, including Fr Shaiju Kurien, Secretary of the Orthodox Church Nilakkal Bhadrasanam in Pathanamthitta district in southern Kerala, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Saturday, the saffron party said in a Facebook post. The BJP said that many people from the Kerala Congress (Jacob) faction also joined the party in the presence of the state president K Surendran in Thrissur district in central Kerala on Saturday.

The party attributed the appeal to minorities joining its ranks to the visionary approach of development under the leadership of the Narendra Modi-led government.

''Over the past decade, the Modi government has shown a strong dedication to development. This is a significant factor motivating minorities to support and join the BJP,'' the party said. The BJP also said that it is dispelling the notion that false propaganda can keep minorities away from the party.

This development comes shortly after the saffron party resumed its 'Sneha Yatra,' an outreach programme aimed at connecting with the Christian community in the state. ''The BJP can dispel misconceptions among minority groups through programmes like Sneha Yatra. It is certain that more people will join BJP in the coming days to be a part of development politics,'' the party said.

Resuming the Sneha Yatra last week, the BJP state chief had visited top priests of various churches in the state, including Cardinal George Alencherry, the former head of the prominent Syro-Malabar Church, and Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparbil of the Latin Archdiocese of Verapoly, to convey Christmas greetings from the Prime Minister.

Although many senior bishops of various denominations have made pro-BJP statements on several occasions in the state in recent times, the alleged silence of the party-led union government on the Manipur violence issue had created differences between them.

The Congress party in the state has strongly criticised the BJP's initiative to reach out to the Christian community, stating that it is not a ''Sneha Yatra,'' the journey of love, but rather the ''kiss of Judas.''

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)