'Hate propaganda against Muslims': Complaint against Pala Bishop for 'narcotics jihad' remark

THRISSUR: A complaint has been lodged against Pala Diocese Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt for allegedly carrying out hate propaganda against the Muslim community. Afzal Yusuf, a law student at Delhi University and MSF Delhi State Vice President, lodged a complaint with the Thrissur City Police. SIO state general secretary Anwar Salahuddin had earlier lodged a complaint with the chief minister and the DGP against the bishop over his reference to narcotics jihad.

The bishop of Pala diocese said that Catholic girls and young people were being victimized by narcotics-love jihadists at an early age and that there is a section in Kerala which provides assistance for this. In a video released on the YouTube channel of the Kuravilangad church, the bishop warns that they are using such methods in places where weapons cannot be used and that Catholic families should be careful in this regard.

"Special groups are working in various parts of Kerala to lure Catholic youths and Hindu youths into drug addiction. Their aim is to destroy other religions through such conspiracies in areas where they cannot fight with weapons. Love jihad and narcotics jihad are two things that are most important and needs to be noted", he said. He added that Kerala is becoming a recruitment centre for terrorists and that the former DGP had said that there are sleeping cells for terrorists here.

"A few groups are raising the extremism that war and struggle must be waged to establish justice, peace and Islam in the world. There are jihadi extremists around the world who seek to promote communalism, hate , bigotry, and communal divide. Trying to establish that there is no love jihad is tantamount to turning a blind eye. Such people have a vested interest. There are many attempts to impose Muslim ideology. The halal controversy was part of it", the bishop said.