“We bought the land in 1969, registered it, and possess a title deed. We don’t understand the basis of this case when we have documents,” Thomas Parackal told TNM. Parackal is the president of the St Philomena Sadhu Jana Sangam, a previously church-affiliated charitable charitable trust based in Koonammavu near north Paravoor in Kerala’s Kochi district. He is referring to a petition filed in the Kerala High Court accusing the Sangam of encroaching upon around 10 acres of land owned by the Konnamkulangara Bhagavathy temple.
The petition, seemingly encouraged by the Ayodhya case, is one of 100 by a group of lawyers under the banner ‘Save Deities’, targeting individuals, trusts, and organisations – predominantly belonging to minority religions – alleging that they have encroached upon Hindu temple lands. The group is led by Advocate E Krishna Raj, known for his contentious Hindutva views, and his team which includes Pratheesh Viswanath, another staunch Hindu right-wing activist and lawyer.
When TNM visited Krishna Raj in his office in Ernakulam’s Kaloor, he said, “I am not associated with any Sangh Parivar group. For legal affairs, I assist them in some cases. But I am a proud Hindu, not an apologetic Hindu. My aim is to reclaim the lost properties of Bhagawan (god). I am leading this movement alone.”