BJP leaders hit back after Congress' Kerala unit mocks PM Modi over meeting with Pope Francis

BJP leaders from Kerala, including Union minister George Kurian, accused the grand old party's Kerala unit of ‘mocking’ Pope Francis and the Christians.

After the Kerala unit of the Congress party mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his meeting with Pope Francis, BJP leaders from the southern state hit back, with one even claiming that the X handle of the grand old party's Kerala unit was being operated by ‘radical Islamists’ or ‘Urban Naxals.’

Pope Francis greets Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives for a session during the G7 Summit, in Savelletri Di Fasano, Italy, Friday, June 14, 2024. (PTI Photo)

PM Modi and Pope Francis met during the recent G7 Summit in Italy. Also, this was the Prime Minister's maiden foreign visit in his third term, for which he was sworn in on June 9.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, INC Kerala posted on X: “Finally, the Pope got a chance to meet God!”

While campaigning for the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi had remarked in an interview that he was ‘convinced that I was sent by God.’

Meanwhile, reacting to the social media post, K Surendran, president of the BJP's Kerala unit, wrote on X: “This handle, seemingly run by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals, continues to post derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders. Now, it has even stopped to mocking the respected Pope and the Christian community. It's certain that the AICC General Secretary from Kerala, @kcvenugopalMP, is aware of this. The question is, what are @Rahul Gandhi and @kharge's interests in supporting this?”

Anil Antony, who joined the BJP in April last year, nearly two months after resigning from the Congress, demanded an apology from ex-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying that she is ‘known to be a practising Catholic.’

“Sad and deplorable to see @INCKerala mock the Holy Father Pope Francis also because of their blind hatred towards our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji and his ever-rising global stature,” Anil, son of Congress veteran and former Union minister AK Antony, said on X.

Union minister George Kurian also accused the Congress in Kerala of ‘insulting the Christian community.’

“This tweet by the Congress, equates Prime Minister Modi to Lord Jesus. This is absolutely uncalled for. It is shameful that the Congress has stooped to this level,” Kurian stated.