Police register case against BJP state vice president B Gopalakrishnan over communal remarks

Two days after the BJP state vice president and NDA candidate for the Guruvayur constituency in the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls, B Gopalakrishnan, allegedly made communally toned remarks during his election campaign, the Guruvayur Temple Police registered a case against him on Sunday.

The complaint was initially submitted by the opposition to the Election Commission, alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The poll body then examined it and found merit in the allegation. It was then forwarded to the police, who registered a case under Section 192 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 125 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Gopalakrishnan reportedly said that Guruvayur had not elected a Hindu MLA in the past 50 years. He also alleged that neither the Left nor the Right fronts field candidates from the Hindu community and questioned why an international pilgrimage centre like Guruvayur had not had a Hindu MLA.

The Thrissur District Collector took action under the instructions of the Chief Electoral Officer, Rathan U Kelkar. The commission collected video footage of the speech and sought a report from the collector. Kelkar said that further action will follow based on the report.

The case was based on an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct, which states that "one should not appeal for votes using caste or communal feelings" and "churches, temples, or other places of worship should not be used as platforms for election campaigns." The violation was evident from the video footage collected.

Both the LDF and UDF have decided to pursue strong legal action on the issue. On Sunday, KSU Thrissur district president Gokul Guruvayur moved the Kerala High Court against Gopalakrishnan over the remarks.

However, Gopalakrishnan has continued his campaign by invoking the Guruvayur temple and making anti-Muslim remarks, in what is allegedly a strategy to polarise voters by appealing to Hindu sentiments. His latest reaction came during a campaign event held today at Guruvayur, where he responded angrily to media queries on the issue.

When questioned about campaigning along religious lines, he reacted angrily, asserting that he stands by his statements and would continue to repeat them.

Gopalakrishnan said that leaders of the LDF and UDF, who did not field a Hindu candidate in Guruvayur, had attended an event led by a Muslim scholar in Chavakkad. However, he alleged that none of them paid attention to a “Kumbh Mela” held in Malappuram. He further claimed that speaking openly about these matters does not constitute a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and added that he has no issue with complaints being filed against him.

Despite the growing controversy over communal remarks and hate speech, neither the BJP nor the NDA leaders have responded to the issue.