Case filed against BJP candidate B Gopalakrishnan over ‘Hindu MLA’ remark

Thrissur: A case has been registered against B Gopalakrishnan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Guruvayur, following his controversial “Hindu MLA” remark, police said on Sunday.

The case was filed by Guruvayur police on the direction of the district collector, acting on instructions from Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar. The action followed a complaint alleging violations of election norms.

Authorities invoked Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, along with provisions of the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct. The complaint stated that candidates are prohibited from seeking votes on the basis of religion or community sentiments and from using places of worship for campaigning.

The violations were identified based on a video shared by Gopalakrishnan. Following the collector’s directive, the video was removed from social media platforms, and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Guruvayur Temple Police Station.

The controversy stems from remarks made by Gopalakrishnan during campaigning in Guruvayur. He claimed that despite Hindus constituting around 48 per cent of the population, the constituency had not elected a “Hindu MLA” in the past 50 years.

He also said his arrival in Guruvayur was a “calling” from Guruvayurappan and alleged that the region had long been under the control of forces opposed to temple interests. He urged voters to support him in what he described as a mission to “liberate” the sacred land.