FIR against BJP candidate B. Gopalakrishnan over remarks in Guruvayur
ACTION has been initiated against B Gopalakrishnan, NDA candidate from Guruvayur, for allegedly violating election norms by invoking religious sentiments during campaigning.
Acting on the instructions of Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Kelkar, the Thrissur District Collector directed that a case be registered under Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with appeals to religion in elections. An FIR has since been registered at the Guruvayur Temple Police Station, and the controversial video at the centre of the complaint has been taken down from social media.
The action follows a complaint against Gopalakrishnan, state vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, over remarks made in a Facebook video that quickly sparked political backlash.
In the video, he claimed that Guruvayur had not elected a Hindu MLA in over five decades, framing the contest as one of religious representation. He further alleged that both the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front had deliberately avoided fielding candidates from the Hindu community in the constituency.
Escalating his pitch, Gopalakrishnan declared it his “responsibility to reclaim the land of Guruvayurappan,” while accusing unnamed forces of controlling the temple town for years.
Election authorities found that the remarks prima facie violated the Model Code of Conduct, which clearly states that caste or communal sentiments should not be used to seek votes and that places of worship must not be used as campaign platforms.
