LDF, church pact cost us victory: D Vijayakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress candidate  D. Vijayakumar has smelt a rat in the huge defeat he has suffered in Chengannur. He has alleged that the Orthodox Church had  struck a secret deal with the   CPM to ensure the success of its candidate Saji Cherian. In return for the favour, the LDF government had promised to implement the Supreme Court order to open the disputed Piravom church for the Orthodox faction.   Mr  Vijayakumar claimed that Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios, Metropolitan of the Thiruvananthapuram diocese of the Orthodox Church,  had held a secret meeting with the CPM leaders at  Chengannur two days before the by-election to open the Piravom church.

Accordingly, Mr Biju Oommen, Orthodox sabha secretary,  and six other senior priests along with the top brass of the CPM reached a pact as per which  the LDF Government would intervene in favour of the Orthodox Church in the  Piravom   dispute. Bishop Gabriel had held talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram  two days before the by-poll to appease the 28, 000 Orthodox voters in the constituency.  Thereafter,  Mr  Vijayan sent the bishop to Chengannur in a government vehicle with police escort.

“Initially the bishop,   Biju Oommen and six other priests  held talks at Parumala church. Later,  they shifted the venue to a  hotel at Chengannur where a pact was entered with the top CPM leaders on the Piravom church,   Mr Vijayakumar told  DC. The Orthodox members  in the constituency were then asked to vote for Mr Cherian.  “If there was no  consolidation of Orthodox voters  against me, I  would not have been defeated,” said Mr Vijayakumar.Confirming  Mr  Vijayak-umar’s claim, a top ‘A’ group leader said that  Bishop Gabriel was  close to Mr Vijayan.

However, Mr Biju Oommen told DC that the  LDF government was yet to implement  the  Supreme Court judgment of  July 3, 2017 stating that the Piravom church should be opened for the Orthodox faction. “I have not held any talks with anyone.  But I do not know whether the bishop or anyone else had held talks at  Chengannur.  Our petition is being considered as the fifth case in the High Court on Tuesday and we hope for a favourable decision. I will respond in detail after the case is considered,”  he said. The Jacobite-Orthodox row dates back to 1912 and has led to violence,  including police action,  on several occasions.   Over  300 churches have been closed as a result of legal action and violence.