VS Terms Jesus a Liberation Leader

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan on Sunday said that Jesus Christ was a liberation leader who fought against the injustice and evils in society. Jesus fought against those who tried to commercialise the places of worship, he said. Inaugurating the seminar ‘Secular and Democratic Culture’, organised as part of the  CPM state conference here, Achuthanandan said that the Church, which now protests against the CPM, is yet to understand that Jesus liberated the people and the Church. “They are now not giving salaries to nurses and are busy running self-financing colleges. Before Jesus, Buddha and after that Mohammed Nabi strove hard to work for the humanity. They are all part of our culture and any  particular community cannot stake claim to  them,’’ the Opposition Leader said. He said that unlike the flex boards erected by the Police Association hailing K Sudhakaran, the painting of Jesus Christ was not kept by the party for campaigning.“Mahabharata and Ramayana are part of our heritage. Those are the treasure of the human race,’’ Achuthanadan said.  Coming down heavily on the Chief Minister, he said Oommen Chandy was trying to protect people who were trying to torpedo secularism in the state.“Surviving with a thin majority, Chandy is now listening to religious fundamentalists. They are now intervening in every policy issue of the government. Justice Jospeh Thomas committee which probed the Marad carnage had recommended a CBI inquiry. The Centre rejected the plea and the LDF Government had given the charge of the probe to SP Pradeep Kumar. When he began to collect some vital evidence, the present UDF Government changed the investigation officer,’’ he said.  He alleged that when read together, it points out that IUML had a role in the Marad riots. “The National Investigation Agency is now probing the alleged link of Dawood Ibrahim to  Kerala,’’ he added. Achuthanandan also said that KPCC president, who should congratulate CPM for placing a painting of Jesus, was criticising the party instead.