Express News Service By

Narendra Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate on Monday, received an unexpected word of appreciation from the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) Catholicos Baselius MarThoma Paulose II.

Speaking to reporters at the MOSC headquarters after the visit of some district leaders of the BJP here, he hailed the development initiatives undertaken in Gujarat.

He said there would be nothing wrong in supporting Modi if he is committed to maintaining communal tolerance.

“Gujarat has made a revolutionary stride in the field of industrialisation. The Orthodox community in Gujarat has a good opinion about Modi and his administration. Modi has created a good atmosphere for the members of our Church to set up industries. According to them, they can start the industries without being caught in red-tapism,” the Catholicos said.

On the other hand, he criticised the UDF Government and said the grassroots-level members in the Church were well aware of the negligence from the part of the state government. He said it was unfortunate that the Orthodox Church did not get any justice from the state government.

The BJP members, led by district president Ettumanoor Radhakrishnan, general secretary N Hari, Minority Morcha state vice-president Korah C George, district president Jijo Joseph, C N Subhash, visited the Catholicos to extend Christmas wishes to him.

However, MOSC official spokesperson P C Elias clarified that the Catholicos did not praise Modi or extend support to him in any manner.

“The Catholicos, in fact, had called upon the BJP leader to be tolerant towards other religions in the wake of his elevation as a national leader. The Church has taken a stance which is neither supportive nor unfavourable to any political party or its leader,” he said.