94-year-old finally laid to rest after 10 days
Alappuzha, Nov 13: Caught in a row between two factions of a church, a 94-year-old man, who died 10 days ago, was finally laid to rest early Tuesday, amid heavy police protection.
The burial of Varghese Mathew, who passed away on November 3, was delayed following a stand-off between the Jacobite and Orthodox factions of the Malankara church over the ownership of a church at Kattachira in Alappuzha district.
Mathew's body had been kept in a mobile mortuary at his house since November 3.
The funeral was delayed after the Orthodox faction refused to allow the the family to conduct the last rites at the St. Mary's Church.
However, the funeral was conducted Tuesday under heavy security and the last rites were led by his grandson,Georgy John, a priest.
"We decided to conduct the funeral under security as we have to consider the dignity of the deceased," District collector S Suhas told reporters.
The church had been under the Jacobite faction for the past several decades.
Though the Supreme Court had issued an order favouring the Orthodox faction, it has not yet been handed over.
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It's all drama: Mamata on PM making pit stop to buy 'jhalmuri' during Bengal poll campaign
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unscheduled stop to buy ‘jhalmuri’ during poll campaigning was "drama".
Her comment came a day after Modi made a pit stop during his campaign tour in Jhargram to buy ‘jhalmuri’, a popular Bengali street food made of puffed rice, green chillies, and other spices.
"It's all drama. How come a camera was present when the Prime Minister suddenly made an unscheduled stop during the campaign? The entire episode was scripted. He was seen carrying a Rs 10 note in his pocket. Is it believable?" Banerjee said without naming Modi.
The TMC supremo was addressing a poll rally in Murarai assembly constituency in Birbhumm district.
