No place for medieval clerical diktats against women: BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated on Saturday that women in the state possess the constitutional right to learn, celebrate and live with complete freedom and dignity, firmly rejecting any efforts to enforce clerical diktats on them.

Writing in a post on 'X', the former Union Minister asserted that the BJP and NDA would actively oppose any attempt to force women into "medieval seclusion". His comments followed a directive issued a day prior by a prominent Islamic scholars' council in the state, which advised organisers of religious events against placing women in public spaces or among unrelated men.
 

While not naming any specific event or religion, Chandrasekhar maintained that those trying to keep women in the shadows belong to a bygone era and have no standing in Viksit Bharat or Indian democracy.

“Every young girl in Keralam has the constitutional right to learn, celebrate, lead, dream and live with total freedom and dignity without clerical (clerics) diktats or political compromise,” he posted.

Highlighting national progress, Chandrasekhar noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has transitioned from women's empowerment to women-led development, with young women taking charge in boardrooms, space missions, startups and the armed forces.

“Our daughters in Keralam will not be denied those exact same opportunities,” he emphasised.

He also slammed the CPM and Congress for engaging in decades of “extreme appeasement”, alleging that such politics had emboldened regressive elements seeking to restrict women.

“When it comes to turning a blind eye to those who oppose women's empowerment, the Congress and CPM are the same. Randalla, Onnanu! (They are not two, they are one) BJP/NDA will not permit it,” Chandrasekhar wrote, adding that “Empowerment is not negotiable” and requires total visibility in public life.

The controversy arose after the Kanthapuram faction of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a leading council of Sunni-Shafi Islamic scholars, issued a public advisory. Samastha president E Sulaiman Musliyar and general secretary Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar cautioned believers against carrying out religious celebrations that breach traditional boundaries.

The scholars argued that displaying young women on public roads or stages alongside unrelated men or blending non-Islamic customs into religious programmes, was inappropriate for believers, prompting them to urge local Mahallu officials, mosque leaders and madrassa administrations to strictly enforce Islamic norms.

The directive provoked widespread criticism online and across political circles, with senior CPM leader P K Sreemathi demanding its immediate withdrawal. Conversely, several Islamic scholars defended the leadership's statement. Sunni Yuvajana Sangam leader Musthafa Mundupara stated on Facebook that scholars have a duty to remind the faithful of fundamental religious disciplines, noting, “Scholars will continue to say it, whether people like it or not. It is their responsibility. Be it a Milad rally or Onam celebrations.”

Similarly, Islamic scholar Nasar Faizy Koodathayi noted that religious leaders are responsible for explaining religious rulings, adding that those who accept Kanthapuram's views are free to follow them while others may choose not to.

Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League chose to distance itself from the dispute. IUML state general secretary P M A Salam stated in Malappuram that the party would neither endorse nor reject the statement, adding, “The League has no specific opinion on the view expressed by the scholars... Religious organisations may have their own views, while the IUML has its own political position.”

PTI