Indian Government says Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil ignored advice not to go to Yemen
A senior Indian government official has said that the Catholic priest who was kidnapped by suspected Islamic militants ignored the advice not to go to Yemen.
Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, a member of the Salesian Order, was abducted from the Missionaries of Charity old-age home in the city of Aden. Sixteen people, including four nuns, were killed by the militants during the raid.
Last month, a video message surfaced online in which Uznhunnalil begged the Indian government and the Vatican to come to his rescue.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn criticism from his political opponents for failing to secure Uzhunnalil's freedom. M.J. Akbar, Deputy Foreign Minister, said that the priest went to Yemen against the government's advice not to go.
"Fr Uzhunnalil went to Yemen ignoring the government's instructions. We are yet to find out where he is and the efforts to rescue him are continuing," said Akbar, as reported by Manorama Online.
"He might not have noticed our efforts to save him and that could have made him criticize the government," he continued.
In the video, the priest said that he is "very sad and depressed" that no efforts were being made to get him released.
"If I were a European priest, I would have been taken more seriously. I am from India. I am perhaps not considered as of much value," he lamented.
The day after the said video surfaced online, the Catholic Bishop of the Arabia region, which includes Yemen, issued a statement saying they are working with international and local diplomatic channels to negotiate for Uzhunnalil's release.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj vowed that the government would spare no effort to secure the priest's freedom.
"I have seen the video from Father Tom. He is an Indian citizen and the life of every Indian is most precious," Swaraj said.
In Uzhunnalil's home state of Kerala, the Communist party stated that its members would send 50,000 postcards to Modi to call on the government to take action.
On New Year's Day, the opposition Congress party launched a petition also urging the government to intervene. V.A. Thomas, the priest's cousin, told World Watch Monitor that rallies have been organized by civil society groups and political parties in the Keralan town of Ramapuram this week to put pressure on the government.