CJM court admits petition of JCC Gen .Secretary against Metropolitan Arch Bishop Andrew Thazhath

Mar Andrews Thazhath

Court admits petition against archbishop

Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/court-admits-petition-against-archbishop/article6684852.ece

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT     THRISSUR, December 12, 2014

The Thrissur Chief Judicial Magistrate Court has admitted a petition filed by the Joint Christian Council against Thrissur Archbishop and chairman of the Commission for Education of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council Mar Andrews Thazhath for allegedly inciting communal disharmony.

The petition filed by Council president Anto Kokkat on Tuesday stated that the Archbishop indulged in unconstitutional deeds mixing religion and politics. He sought registration of a case against the Archbishop under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 153 B (imputation, assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the Indian Penal Code.

The court will consider the petition on January 5.

Mr. Kokkat and Federation Kerala Catholic Federation president Antony Chittattukara had filed the petition with the Town East police on September 15. The petitioners said, “The police did not register a case maintaining that there was no cognisable offence involved. The police stated that a case could be registered only under the directive of a court.”

The petition drew attention to a letter written by the archbishop to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and two national leaders of the party on August 3. The petition said the statements were unconstitutional and clearly indicated religious interference in elections. The petition also drew attention to a circular issued by the Thrissur Archdiocese on August 18 that “called for promotion of the All-Kerala Catholic Congress (AIKCC) and strengthening its activities in the dioceses and local bodies.”

“This is a clear indication of a religious body indulging in politics,” stated the petition.

Petition cites Archbishop’s letter to Sonia Gandhi as instance of religious interference in elections.