Thiruvananthapuram: A nun has allegedly issued a death threat to Kerala chief minister chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sparking a row in the politically volatile state.
The threat came from a Facebook profile named Teena Jose. The profile identified the user as a nun and advocate. It was also mentioned that she had studied at the Government Law College in Ernakulam. The comment with the alleged death threat was in reply to a Facebook post by one Selton L D’souza, who had stated that Vijayan would campaign for the local body polls in Kerala.
In her alleged comment, the nun referred to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, stating that “this world, which killed a good man like Rajiv Gandhi, can do that as well.”
Jose – if it is she who made the comment – has been reported to have been a former member of the Catholic religious order Congregation of the Mother of Carmel.
“At least during the campaign, someone should throw a bomb and kill him. The world that killed a good man like Rajiv Gandhi is capable of this also,” the Facebook reply said.
The Congregation of the Mother of Carmel has, however, distanced itself from the woman and the controversy by issuing a press release stating that her membership in the community was cancelled according to the canonical procedures, way back on April 4, 2009.
She is presently not a part of the congregation, the statement said.
Kerala minister for general education V Sivankutty condemned the alleged threat. He said that the statements were a challenge to the law of the land and democratic values.
“It was known from the media that she is a supporter of the Twenty20 political party and is campaigning for the party’s candidates in the local body polls. Twenty20 should clear its position about whether it subscribes to her views,” Sivankutty said in a release.
Sabu M Jacob, chief coordinator of Twenty20, said the woman “has no official position” in the party. The statements made by her are her personal views, he added.
