Jose K Mani's remark on 'Love Jihad' creates political row in Kerala

Mani later came out with a clarification that his party's stand on 'Love Jihad' was same as that of the LDF

Kerala Congress (M) led by Jose K Mani, a new entrant to the CPM-led LDF, caused an embarrassment to the LDF with Mani stating that the concerns over 'Love Jihad' should be addressed.

While Mani's statement could be seen as a bid to appease the Christian vote banks, it put the CPM in a tight spot as the party was opposed to the 'Love Jihad' theory. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also preferred not to comment on Mani's statement.

The BJP as well as various Christian outfits like the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council backed Jose K Mani's stand, while the Congress accused Mani of trying to create communal polarisation.

As it snowballed to a major political embarrassment for the left-front, Mani came out with a clarification that his party's stand on 'Love Jihad' was same as that of the LDF. He also alleged that a misleading campaign was being carried out against his statement to divert attention from the development agenda of the LDF.