The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, a numerically powerful sect of Christian community, made a volte-face on Friday and started singing peans at the Narendra Modi Government for its “impressive victory” in the recent Lok Sabha election.

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, the supreme head of the MOSC, said he was happy that Narendra Modi has been elected as Prime Minister for a record third term and congratulated Modi for the rare feat. Interestingly, the MOSC was in the forefront of the protest against the riots in Manipur which claimed many lives. “The riots in Manipur is a tussle between two tribes and both the sections suffered casualties and loss of properties,” said Baselios Marthoma Mathews in a release on Friday.

The head of the MOSC said there was no need of any apprehension over the happenings in Manipur. “We understand it was not at all a pogrom or communal riot as made out by a section of politicians and media,” he said.

Friday’s statement is in contrast to what he had said in June 2023 when he criticized  the Centre and the union home minister for the callous attitude towards the despicable incidents in Manipur.

When asked whether the Christians in Kerala had voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election, the Church head feigned ignorance. “We never tell the laity to vote for any particular political party and leave the decision to them. Some Christians might have voted for the BJP and it od for that party to ensure that they vote for them again in the upcoming election,” he said.

Baselios Marthoma Mathews pointed out that the BJP had won an assembly constituency in Kerala in 2016  but lost the sane in the 2021 poll. “If the voters are taken onto confidence, they would continue voting for the party of their choice,” he said. In the recent Lok Sabha poll, Suresh Gopi of the BJP has won from Thrissur parliamentary constituency which has a considerable Christian population.