BJP Guruvayur Candidate Under Scanner For Communal Remarks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP’s Guruvayur assembly candidate
B. Gopalakrishnan is facing scrutiny over allegedly making communally charged remarks during his election campaign.

Guruvayur Temple police have registered a case in the matter. Opposition parties first took the complaint to Election Commission officials, accusing him of breaching the Model Code of Conduct, and the EC, after reviewing it, found the allegations to have merit.

The complaint was forwarded to the police, who registered a case under Section 192 of the BNS (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot) and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for promoting enmity on religious grounds.

In his controversial remarks, Gopalakrishnan allegedly said that the Guruvayur constituency hadn’t elected a Hindu MLA in the past 50 years. He claimed neither the Left nor the Right front fielded Hindu candidates and questioned why an international pilgrimage centre like Guruvayur had never had a Hindu MLA.

Both the Left and the UDF have decided to address the issue strongly.

"I have not received any notice yet over the alleged remarks," Gopalakrishnan told media persons after filing his nomination papers on Monday. "I didn’t say anything wrong or anything against the model code of conduct. I stand by my remarks," he said, adding, "Let them arrest me. I dare them to arrest me. I have not been given any notice."

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar also defended Gopalakrishnan, stating that the party candidate had not said anything wrong. "When Muslim League leaders speak about religious identity and religion, it is called secularism. But when others say anything about religion, it is labelled communalism. This is a double standard," he told media persons.