Latest news with #Church-led
New Indian Express
05-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP leader alleges SDPI, Jamaat infiltration in Church protests in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state vice-president Shone George on Monday voiced concern over what he described as the 'infiltration' of groups such as the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Jamaat-e-Islami into protest programmes organised by Churches in Kerala. Shone told the TNIE that he had received clear evidence from trusted intelligence sources confirming the presence of these groups in the Church-led protests. Addressing a press conference, Shone alleged that elements of SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami had participated in protests held in Kannur, Thalassery, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Angamaly, Tiruvalla and Mananthavady in connection with the arrest of two Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh recently. Noting that these groups had previously targeted Christian churches and leaders, Shone said their sudden support for the Church was 'not with good intentions'. He clarified that the BJP respected protests led by the Church, but warned that such infiltrations were 'dangerous'. He said the BJP had taken a 'humanitarian stance' on the nuns' issue. Shone accuses Left of neglecting Christians Shone asserted that the nuns' release was made possible due to the neutrality maintained by the BJP and the Chhattisgarh government. Criticising the Left, Shone accused the party of long neglecting Christians. He recalled that during the EMS government, the Left had filed an affidavit stating that Christians should not be given the same treatment as minorities. Shone also alleged that the Pinarayi government had removed the rule requiring Christians to be part of the Minority Commission and had appealed to the Supreme Court against the verdict mandating that minority scholarships be proportional to population. He contrasted the swift implementation of the Paloli Committee report for the backward sections of the Muslim community with the delay in publishing the J B Koshy report -- commissioned before the last assembly elections to address issues faced by backward sections of the Christian community -- which he said remained missing even after four years. He questioned whether the Pinarayi government dares to implement the Koshy report. Asserting that Kerala's Christians will no longer remain 'political slaves of the Congress', Shone vowed that the BJP would expose 'wolves in sheep's clothing' across the political spectrum.
The Journal
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Michael O'Brien, abuse survivor and former mayor of Clonmel, dies aged 92
MunsterAtheist / YouTube MICHAEL O'BRIEN, A survivor of child sexual abuse who famously tackled the government during a televised debate in 2009, has died. He passed away peacefully at his daughter Geraldine's home yesterday at the age of 92. Michael O'Brien, who previously served as Lord Mayor of Clonmel in 1993, was a member of a live studio audience for RTÉ's Questions and Answers programme in 2009. As a child he had spent eight years in St Joseph's Industrial School, also known as Ferryhouse, in Co Tipperary where he was raped and severely beaten. He spoke out following the publication of the Ryan report, which had examined child sexual abuse in Church-led institutions. The report came a decade after the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was commissioned by the government in 1999. Addressing then-Minister for Transport and Fianna Fáil TD Noel Dempsey, O'Brien detailed his own experiences with the commission, which was published a week before the broadcast. Advertisement O'Brien asked Dempsey if the government would freeze the assets of religious institutions if they didn't pay more into the Redress Board Fund, which had been a topical issue at the time. Dempsey replied that 'it's not a power that the government has'. 'The constitution protects the right to private property,' he said, adding that it wasn't an option for them. In a passionate response to Dempsey, O'Brien told the panel that his account of being raped and beaten had been questioned at the commission of investigation into institutional child abuse by the barristers and judges, and the effect that had on him. He said that he had attempted to take his own life after spending five days at the commission. 'They brought a man over from Rome, 90 odd years of age, to tell me I was telling lies, that I wasn't beaten for an hour non-stop by two of them from head to toe without a shred of cloth on my body,' O'Brien told Dempsey. Shortly after he spoke out, presenter John Bowman said that his speech was the most memorable moment of the show in 23 years. Speaking on an RTÉ documentary filmed years after the programme, O'Brien said that he had 'no idea' what he was going to say until he saw the minister. "And I knew then now or never...", Michael O'Brien explains why he spoke out on Questions & Answers in 2009. #Redress - Breaking the Silence, part 2, tonight, 9.35pm — RTÉ One (@RTEOne) March 3, 2020 But he knew that after Dempsey's answer, that it was 'now or never'. O'Brien is predeceased by his wife Mary. His funeral will take place tomorrow morning at St. Mary's Church in Clonmel. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
