Love, land, business ‘jihads’ present in Kerala: Union minister claims
text_fields
Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has alleged that Kerala is facing not only “love jihad” but also “business jihad” and “land jihad,” claiming that the state is suffering under alternating rule by the LDF and UDF. She asserted that large sections of youth are leaving the state for education and employment, and further alleged that Hindus and Christians are fleeing Kerala out of fear, though no data was provided to substantiate these claims.
Karandlaje argued that Kerala requires major structural changes to achieve development, calling for increased industrial investment and better utilisation of resources such as marine products and agricultural output. She said fishermen and farmers should directly benefit from such policies, while accusing both the ruling and opposition fronts of enabling corruption instead of addressing public concerns.
Positioning the NDA as an alternative, she claimed that development and security would improve if a government led by Narendra Modi came to power in the state. She also criticised what she described as political contradictions among national alliances, alleging that parties opposing each other nationally are engaged in coordinated politics in Kerala.
The minister defended provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation framework, dismissing concerns raised by minority groups and NGOs as unfounded. She maintained that action would be taken only against illegal foreign funding, while legitimate organisations would not face restrictions.
Separately, former DGP and NDA leader R. Sreelekha echoed similar concerns, alleging that the state government ignores crimes linked to “love jihad” and fails to prioritise women’s safety. She claimed incidents of crimes against women have increased sharply in recent years and accused authorities of inaction even in serious situations.
Sreelekha said that if elected from Vattiyoorkavu, she would focus on strengthening women’s safety mechanisms, arguing that a change in government is necessary to address law and order issues in Kerala.
