Kerala polls: After row over ‘love jihad’ remarks by P.K. Krishnadas, Chief Electoral Officer to seek report, legal opinion

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO-Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar said on Monday (April 6, 2026) that he will seek a report from the District Collector, Thiruvananthapuram, on a hate speech allegedly made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the party’s candidate in Kattakada P.K. Krishnadas.

Mr. Kelkar said his office is also planning to seek legal opinion on this matter.

The controversy pertains to a speech made by Mr. Krishnadas on Sunday where he purportedly said that organisations such as the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Jamaat-e-Islami would be in control of the State government if either the LDF or the UDF came to power. Mr. Krishnadas was also reported as saying that girls from Hindu and Christian homes will be subjected to ‘love jihad’ and forced into anti-national activities.

Mr. Krishnadas had given his speech shortly after Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah left the venue.

At a press conference on Monday, Mr. Krishnadas stuck to his stand on the ‘love jihad’ remark. He said his comments were not targeted against any specific religion. Religious terrorists had no humanity or religion, he said. He said he will “legally’’ respond to the Election Commission of India’s queries when he receives them.

He also repeated his allegation that Congress was in a nexus with the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] with the SDPI. The BJP’s official stand is that these are anti-national organisations. These alliances have triggered security concerns among the people of Kerala, he said.