KOTTAYAM: The orthodox church has also decided to stay away from the LDF following the court verdict regarding rights to several churches. NSS had also decided not to work with the party over the women's wall issue. LDF had ensured the support of Orthodox and Jacobite factions in the Chengannur by-elections. However, new incidents have resulted in a stalemate for the government.
Accoridng to the by-laws of the church written in 1934, the rights to the church belong to the Orthodox faction. However, they allege that the government did not consider this and took a stand supporting the Jacobite faction. The government is trying to settle the issue immediately on seeing that the issue can affect their chances in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Tension prevailed at Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district Thursday after followers of the Jacobite Syrian Church prevented the entry of a priest of the Orthodox Syrian Church into the Marthoma Cheriya Palli to offer holy mass.

Hundreds of Jacobite church followers comprising women and priests assembled at the church and blocked the entry of Fr Thomas Paul Ramban, the appointed vicar of the Orthodox faction, who had reached the place armed with a high court order to offer holy mass.
Many of the protesters were arrested but hundreds still remain on the church premises, staging a demonstration.

Ramban was shifted from the area following mounting protests.

Later, he returned to the church but protesters again prevented him from entering.

Jacobite church head Baselios Thomas I said no one would be allowed to take over the church and its property.

Ramban reached the church amid tight security two days after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Jacobite faction against the Muvattupuzha Munsif Court order granting police protection to him.

Jacobites claimed majority of the devotees living in the parish belong to their faction, while Orthodox Church followers are very less in numbers.

Ramban alleged that the protest by Jacobite followers and clergy were in violation of the court order.

Recently, a famous church in Piravom, controlled by the Jacobite faction, had witnessed high tension as police entered the premises to implement last year's Supreme Court order giving control of the church to the Orthodox faction.

In its order, the Supreme Court had ruled that 1,100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church should be controlled by the Orthodox faction, as per the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines.