Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that certain pressure groups had attempted to hijack the morally justifiable agitation of nuns to bring a lawbreaker to justice.
They had attempted in vain to politicise the campaign and point it against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the party. The CPI(M) had only exposed the political and communal gambit. It had not denounced the fight of a set of nuns for justice as portrayed by some quarters, he said.
Mr. Balakrishnan said the agitation of the sisters had resonated among members of civil society. Their clarion call for fairness, equity and justice portended significant changes in the church. It held profound implications for the ancient institution’s future.
Mr. Balakrishnan said he believed that the church leadership had the resolve to understand the significance of the development and adapt itself to the new situation.
He said the LDF government was oath-bound to uphold the law, protect victims and ensure punishment for felons. The arrest of bishop Franco Mulakkal testified to the State’s firmness of purpose in this regard. He said it was perhaps for the first time in the country the police had arrested a bishop on the charge of rape.
The government had insulated the police from extraneous influence. The law enforcement under the LDF government had always enjoyed the professional freedom to investigate and prosecute crimes without fear or favour.
The charged against the bishop had occurred in 2014. Hence, the police required time to painstakingly collect and analyse evidence with extreme caution, since reputations were involved and the case was of a highly sensitive nature. The police did a laudable job. They arrested the bishop on the strength of evidence and not because of any other duress, he said.
Mr. Balakrishnan said the LDF government was by default with the victims and not aggressors.
