Mayor’s remarks on Latin Catholic support spark political row in Kochi

Kochi Mayor V.K. Minimol sparked controversy during a speech at the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council general assembly, suggesting that the Latin Catholic Church played a role in her mayoral election. She later clarified that she meant to express gratitude for the support from all quarters, but the statement was misconstrued. Archbishop Varghese Chackalakkal defended recommending her name and said there was nothing wrong with supporting a community member who is presented with an opportunity to grow. The CPI(M) accused the Congress party of hypocrisy, while KPCC general secretary Deepthy Mary Varghese expressed confusion over the mayor's statement.