MoS Muraleedharan questions CPI(M)'s anti-CAA stand, seeks to know church heads' opinions

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Saturday accused the CPI(M) of “creating hurdles” in the BJP-led union government’s move “to give asylum to persecuted Christians” from neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the country.

While the CPI(M) has objected to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on the grounds that it discriminates against people in the name of religion as it leaves out Muslims, Muraleedharan claimed that the stand of the Marxist party was “not to include” any particular community, but “against providing asylum to anyone including Christians”.

Speaking to reporters here, the union minister of state for external affairs said he would like to know the response of heads of churches about the alleged stand taken by the CPI(M) in this regard.

“I want to ask the church heads what is their opinion about the Kerala government and the CPI(M) approaching the Supreme Court against the law which grants citizenship to Christian believers who sought asylum in India after suffering persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh,” Muraleedharan said.

He criticised the Marxist party’s anti-CAA stand when reporters asked him about the Manipur violence issue and the recent statements made by some church heads in this regard.

The Marxist party has come up with a stand not to give them asylum in the country, the minister alleged.

“But, the union government has taken a stand to provide asylum to such Christian brothers who suffered persecution. So, people of the state and the Christian community would like to know the opinion of church heads in this regard,” he added.

While replying to a question, the MoS also said that many church heads had already made it clear that Manipur violence was allegedly not a religious riot but an ethnic clash.

Muraleedharan was speaking after filing the nomination to contest as the BJP candidate in nearby Attingal Lok Sabha constituency.