Kerala evangelical church under Income Tax scanner backs BJP’s Anil Antony from Pathanamthitta

Church spokesperson, Father Sijo Pandaplackal, said the decision to support the BJP in Pathanamthitta was taken after Antony visited Church leaders, and that it had nothing to do with the I-T investigation or its FCRA licence.

“At present, the support is for the BJP candidate in Pathanamthitta only. Our decision has nothing to do with the Income Tax probe against the Church. It is still under process,” he said.

He said that though the Church’s FCRA licence – mandatory for it to receive foreign aid – was cancelled years before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Church had not tried to get the decision reversed by supporting the BJP at the time. “So, there are no grounds to the allegation that the Church is supporting the BJP for any favours. We did not make any such effort in the 2019 elections. Then, why should we do that in 2024?” he asked.

The Believers Church, founded by evangelist K P Yohannan in 2000 and headquartered in Thiruvalla, has a strong presence in the Pathanamthitta seat.

An I-T probe into the Church began in November 2020, pertaining to the Rs 4,000 crore in donations that it received over the years. A chunk of these funds were found to have allegedly gone into the real estate sector.

The Church’s FCRA licence was cancelled in 2017 over alleged spending anomalies.

The Church’s decision to back the BJP comes at a time when the party has been trying to win the support of the Christian community in Kerala, which votes in Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

The RSS has, in the past, criticised Pentecostal groups in Kerala for converting Dalit Hindus to Christianity.