The fear that the hunger strike launched by nuns demanding arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal might assume ‘dangerous proportions’ has led to the arrest of the priest accused of rape. The Left Front government and the police tried all excuses to delay the arrest. But the protest by the nuns started getting support from all sections of the society forcing the government to go for the arrest.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has alleged that the RSS and BJP were behind the nuns’ stir. “Communal forces which are trying to establish Hindu Rashtra were trying to malign the image of the Church by staging the agitation. These forces are trying to turn the nuns’ agitation on the government,” writes Balakrishnan in the CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani.
It is learnt that the Left Front government had sought the permission of the Church to arrest the Bishop, as it was becoming difficult for the government and the ruling CPI(M) to face the public outrage. The agitating nuns were getting support from the Christian community also, which forced the CPI(M) for a rethink.
The protesters said the CPI(M) was trying to protect a rapist who has been disowned even by the Pope.
Noted film director Joy Mathew said the CPI(M) is playing vote bank politics and it is standing with the ‘rapist’.
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