Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reportedly mentioning the rescue of “Christian nurses” from foreign terrorist territory, during a campaign speech in Meghalaya, a Christian dominated State. The reference pertained to the liberation of 46 Kerala nurses from Islamic State-controlled territory in Iraq in 2014.
Mr. Chandy said he, as Chief Minister then, was very much part of the rescue effort. He had seen the plight of the families of the nurses at close quarters and witnessed the desperation of their kin caught in the war zone. The Kerala government had wholeheartedly aided the rescue effort because the nurses were Indians and not Christians as suggested by the Prime Minister.
Mr. Chandy said Mr. Modi appeared to have forgotten his station as Prime Minister of the secular republic of India. He seemed to view citizens through the prism of religion and community. He had used the issue to woo the electorate in Meghalaya.
