Kerala Assembly polls: Complaint against BJP candidate’s "Hindu MLA" remark
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): The Congress-affiliated student outfit, KSU, moved Kerala High Court against a purported remark -- which allegedly had communal overtones -- of the BJP-led NDA candidate in the Guruvayoor Assembly constituency.
The KSU has also filed complaints with police and officials regarding the purported speech of Guruvayur NDA candidate B Gopalakrishnan.
KSU's complaint pertains to a campaign video in which Gopalakrishnan purportedly claimed that the constituency had not elected a Hindu MLA for nearly five decades and alleged that both the Left and the Congress-led fronts had not been fielding candidates from the community.
Guruvayur is an international pilgrimage centre, and the "land of Lord Guruvayurappan" has been in the hands of "temple thieves" for the past five decades, Gopalakrishnan alleged in the purported video.
"Why is there no Hindu MLA in Guruvayur so far?" he allegedly asked in the video.
KSU Thrissur district president, Gokul Guruvayoor, in a Facebook post, said a writ petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking action, including the disqualification of the candidate.
In the FB post, he also said complaints have been submitted to the district collector, district police chief, state election authorities and the Guruvayur ACP, alleging that the remarks were aimed at creating communal divisions to influence voters.
There was no immediate response from the BJP leader on the allegations.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
