Thiruvananthapuram: A political controversy has broken out amid the intense Kerala Assembly poll campaign after BJP candidate R Sreelekha made strong remarks on women’s safety, targeting the state government.

Addressing a ‘Brunch with Sreelekha’ event in Sasthamangalam on Friday, she alleged that the Kerala government has “turned a blind eye” to issues such as “love jihad”, claiming that this has contributed to women feeling unsafe in the state.

Referring to her own experience, Sreelekha said that despite being a senior police officer, she had faced troubling situations without receiving support. She also claimed that even Kerala Director General of Police Ravada A Chandrasekhar did not support her, alleging that such backing depends on “political approval”.

Citing a recent incident involving a Kerala minister’s wife, she questioned the government’s response, alleging that no effective action was taken despite complaints being filed with the police grievance cell.

“This is the situation in Kerala,” the BJP leader said, criticising the state administration.

Her remarks have drawn attention not only for their political tone but also because of her high-profile background.

Sreelekha is the first woman IPS officer from Kerala to rise to the rank of Director General of Police, a distinction that continues to shape her public image, although she did not oversee the law and order portfolio.

Her entry into politics came as a surprise when she joined the BJP’s Kerala unit last year.

Within months, she was fielded as a councillor candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from an upcountry ward, where she won.

Although initially seen as a potential mayoral candidate if the BJP gained control, she was later sidelined.

Her candidature in the Vattiyoorkavu Assembly constituency is being seen as a strategic move by the BJP.

The party has finished second in the constituency in two of the last three Assembly elections, and with the BJP now in power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, it is fielding Sreelekha as a potential candidate in the contest.

As the campaign intensifies, her remarks have sharpened the already heated electoral battle.