Thiruvananthapuram | Just days before Kerala votes on April 26 in the general elections, the influential Latin Church has said its bank accounts were frozen by the central government after its 2022 protests against Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport, and the account freeze is still hurting it.

Vizhinjam, a coastal hamlet in the state capital, had witnessed strong protests against the seaport, which also resulted in violence in November 2022.

In a pastoral letter read during Sunday Mass, the Latin church said it was facing a funds crunch due to the freezing of its bank accounts by the authorities.

"We are unable to receive funds even for our missionary purposes because, after the Vizhinjam protests, the authorities have frozen our bank accounts. That situation continues even now," the letter, which was read across all the Latin churches, said.

The issue of the account freeze was mentioned in the letter seeking financial assistance from believers, for the various expenses of the church.

The Lok Sabha elections in Kerala will be held on April 26, and the nationwide results will be declared on June 4.