BJP raises spectre of ‘political Islam’ infiltrating Church in Kerala

The BJP has raised the spectre of “political Islam” infiltrating the Church in Kerala. The party’s State vice-president Shone George told a news conference on Monday (August 4, 2025) that radical Islamists, beholden to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Jamaat-e-Islami, had infiltrated Church protests in sizeable numbers, including those led by bishops, across the State.

He noted the presence of Islamist elements in demonstrations led by Church leaders and the laity in several locations, including Kannur, Thalassery, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Mananthavady, Angamaly and Ernakulam.

“I talked to the senior-most prelate in Kerala on Monday. He seemed not to be concerned about the presence of radical Islamists among the demonstrators,” he added.

Asked to adduce evidence to back his charges, Mr. George asked mediapersons to contact the State police intelligence or mine their sources in the localities.

Mr. George alleged that the SDPI’s gambit was to use the arrest of the nuns as a foil for alienating Christians from the BJP. The SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami’s tactics had the tacit backing of the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. 

He accused the ruling front and the Opposition of seeking to frustrate the efforts of the BJP governments at the Centre and Chhattisgarh to secure an early release for the nuns.

“Both the Congress and the CPI(M) wanted the nuns to remain in jail to ensure that the emotive issue festers and retards the BJP’s bourgeoning acceptance among Christians in Kerala,” he added.

Mr. George said the Vatican Council in 1964 had ruled against forced conversion. “In contrast, if Tipu Sultan’s expeditionary forays had not halted at Kodungalloor 200 years ago, Kerala’s social matrix would have been different,” he added.

Mr. George attacked the Congress and CPI(M) for seeking the support of the Jamaat-e-Islami and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) respectively during the recent byelection in the Nilambur Assembly constituency. He said the BJP was with “patriotic Muslims,” who, he stated, were in the majority.

BJP leader S. Suresh, who is also a State vice-president, said the party would not allow political adversaries to single out State president Rajiv Chandrasekhar for criticism.