Kerala forest minister Saseendran slams bishops for demanding his resignation amid animal attacks in state

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala forest minister A K Saseendran has flayed two Christian bishops for accusing the left-front government and demanding his resignation in view of the back to back deaths in wild animal attacks.

Saseendran told reporters that bishops were supposed to make a call for peace and try to console people who were in distress. But of late the behavior of some bishops seems to be quite different. The demand for his resignation seems to be a political one as his resignation won't solve the man-animal conflict problem, he said.

Thamarassery bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil and Kanjirappally bishop Mar Jose Pulickal had strongly criticised the government and personally attacked the minister. Inchananiyil specifically demanded the minister's resignation.

Reacting to the minister's comments against the bishops, Syro Malabar church archbishop Joseph Pamplany said that what the bishops said were the general sentiments of the people owing to the back to back deaths in wild animal attacks. The government should not consider it as political and try to downplay the situation.

Meanwhile, a hartal observed by the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Wayanad on Thursday went off quite peacefully, except for isolated incidents of blocking roads. The hartal was called in the wake of the back to back deaths of two persons from the tribal community in wild elephant attacks.