The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will introduce an Uttar Pradesh-model legislation against ‘love jihad’ in Kerala if it comes to power in the State, the Union Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda has said.
The BJP would also make sure that the administration of devaswom boards was handed over to true devotees, he told a press conference here on Monday.
Both assurances would be part of the soon-to-be-released election manifesto of the BJP, Mr. Gowda said.
Kerala had become a hub for ‘love jihad’ and the Christian community in the State was being specifically targeted, Mr. Gowda alleged. The CPI(M)-led government was supporting the practice, according to him.
The devaswom boards had become centres of CPI(M) activities, he said. “I will assure the people of Kerala that if my party comes to power, we will make sure that all these devaswom boards are abolished for the time being and believers take over their charge,’’ he said.
Under CPI(M) stewardship, Kerala had become a “hub for anti-national activities”. The Left Democratic Front had failed to usher in development. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintained a “dictatorial attitude” and had failed to preserve transparency in administration, which was a basic requirement in a democracy, Mr. Gowda alleged.
‘Witch hunts’
He accused the LDF government of misusing government machinery for the benefit of the party and engaging in “witch hunts” against RSS and BJP workers.
As for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), “Muslim fundamentalists are their captains now,” Mr. Gowda alleged.
On the BJP’s election prospects, he claimed that the party had emerged as one of the front-runners this time. Mr. Gowda said he expected the BJP’s vote-share to go up from approximately 17.3% votes in the 2020 local body polls to 30-35% this time.
