Kerala Assembly polls: Complaint against BJP candidate’s 'Hindu MLA' remark

Thrissur (Kerala): The Congress-affiliated student outfit, KSU, moved Kerala High Court against a purported remark -- which allegedly had communal overtones -- of the BJP-led NDA candidate in the Guruvayoor Assembly constituency.

The KSU has also filed complaints with police and officials regarding the purported speech of Guruvayur NDA candidate B Gopalakrishnan.

KSU's complaint pertains to a campaign video in which Gopalakrishnan purportedly claimed that the constituency had not elected a Hindu MLA for nearly five decades and alleged that both the Left and the Congress-led fronts had not been fielding candidates from the community.

Guruvayur is an international pilgrimage centre, and the "land of Lord Guruvayurappan" has been in the hands of "temple thieves" for the past five decades, Gopalakrishnan alleged in the purported video.

"Why is there no Hindu MLA in Guruvayur so far?" he allegedly asked in the video.

KSU Thrissur district president, Gokul Guruvayoor, in a Facebook post, said a writ petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking action, including the disqualification of the candidate.

In the FB post, he also said complaints have been submitted to the district collector, district police chief, state election authorities and the Guruvayur ACP, alleging that the remarks were aimed at creating communal divisions to influence voters.

There was no immediate response from the BJP leader on the allegations.