BJP in opposition to taking ladies to ISIS, not interfaith marriages: Okay Surendran

Express News Service
KASARGOD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shouldn’t be in opposition to inter-religious marriage however in opposition to inter-religious {couples} ending up with the Syria-based Islamic State (ISIS), mentioned the social gathering’s state president Okay Surendran.

Terming that as ‘love jihad’, he mentioned many moms have complained in opposition to such marriages, the place they find yourself dropping their daughters.

Surendran — who’s contesting the meeting election from Konni section in Pathanamthitta district and Manjeshwar in Kasaragod district — was campaigning in Paivalike panchayat when TNIE caught up with him. He was visiting chosen homes of Christians at Permude on Thursday.

Surendran mentioned the difficulty of ‘love jihad’ was being raised not by the BJP however by Christian teams in Kerala. “They have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about it,” he mentioned and added that was why the BJP has taken it up.

At the launch of the BJP’s marketing campaign, BJP chief and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath taunted the Kerala authorities for not bringing in legislation in opposition to ‘love jihad’. 

Surendran mentioned the BJP was not in opposition to the {couples} who get married however in opposition to the organised system of the ISIS which lured younger interfaith {couples} to Syria, a reference to the Islamic terror organisation. “We do not blame the husband or the wife if they end up in Syria. There are organised ISIS groups in Kerala taking couples to Syria. We hold them responsible,” he mentioned.

Polling in Manjeshwar is not going to be on communal traces

Surendran, who misplaced by 89 votes to Muslim League’s P B Abdul Razak in 2016, mentioned the voting wouldn’t be on communal traces this time. 

The BJP is cautious of such polarisation as a result of 53% of the voters within the constituency are Muslims.

But not less than two BJP leaders and nearly all UDF leaders mentioned Surendran’s entry into Manjeshwar would assist consolidate minority votes in favour of the UDF due to the shut battle of 2016.

The BJP state president mentioned he was contesting from Manjeshwar as a result of the 2016 election was stolen from him. He moved the excessive courtroom alleging bogus voting by the IUML however couldn’t show his cost. “This time, the Christians and the Muslims will vote for the BJP,” he mentioned, with out explaining how he would attain out to the 2 communities.

When requested in regards to the vitriolic hate messages being unfold by the rightwing ecosystem in social media, Surendran dismissed it saying there have been no such messages or anti-Muslim violence in India. “It is a narrative spread by the Left-Jihadi nexus,” he mentioned.

‘BJP candidates will profit from Sabarimala protest’

Surendran mentioned BJP candidates throughout the state would profit from the Sabarimala protests.

He mentioned he too would profit from it in Konni. 

When identified he got here third within the byelection held in 2019, he mentioned the dynamics of the bye-poll had been completely different because the ruling social gathering managed the federal government equipment. “But I polled nearly 40,000 votes and the losing margin was thin,” he mentioned.

To be certain, he trailed by 14,313 votes to the successful LDF candidate and by almost 4,000 votes to the UDF candidate.

Post elections, if the BJP carried out moderately nicely, many political events and leaders now aligned with the UDF and the LDF would be part of the NDA, mentioned Surendran. “When I said the NDA would come to power in Kerala if the BJP won 40 seats, it was not empty rhetorics,” he mentioned.

Dismisses helicopter jibes

The BJP president dismissed the memes and jibes in opposition to him for utilizing a helicopter to marketing campaign in Kerala. 

He mentioned he needed to cowl two constituencies at two ends of the state and likewise impart the tasks because the state president of the BJP. “The party’s central leadership gave the helicopter because of the circumstances,” he mentioned.