PIRAVOM : Piravom Municipality standing committee chairperson Aisha Madhavan said: “The Orthodox faction is less in number under this church. Further, they’ve built another church just one kilometer away from the Piravom Church. So many Jacobite families can’t be left without a church. We’ll continue our protest.”The police attempted to break into the church, but the protesters thwarted the move by threatening to commit suicide. “We were forced to return following the suicide threats. We just wanted to implement the SC order and have played our part,” said Ernakulam SP (Rural) Rahul R Nair.
Meanwhile, the Orthodox faction criticised the Jacobites’ ‘staged drama’. “The SC rulings have always put forward the truth. The Jacobite faction has forcefully removed the church vicar Fr Skaria Vattakkattia, who was appointed following the guidelines. Nearly 2,000 Orthodox families belong to the Piravom Church,” said Malankara Orthodox Church PRO Fr Johns Abraham Konattu.
Sources said the police made the attempt to show before the High Court on Tuesday that some action has been taken to implement the SC verdict.“The SC ruling could’ve been implemented much earlier had the police were serious. Police officers turning up a day before the HC hearing shows their move is in favour of the Jacobite faction and government.
We didn’t want to take part in the drama staged by the police, we want to abide by the law,” said Orthodox Church believer Blessen Eldo. Catholicos Baselious Thomas I said an episcopal synod (metropolitans’ meeting) would be held at the Piravom Church on Tuesday.