HC declines to interfere: CPM to act against leader who opposed interfaith weddings

This came on a day a division bench of Kerala High Court declined to interfere in the relationship of Shejin and Jyotsna, as the latter said she wants to marry him.

kerala high court tmc inter faith marriages

The court was considering a habeas corpus petition moved by Jyotsna’s family, alleging that she was illegally detained by Shejin. (File)

Ruling CPI(M) in Kerala is likely to take disciplinary action against party’s Kozhikode district secretariat member and former legislator George M Thomas, who had stated that interfaith marriage of a young party worker had shattered religious harmony, and that “love jihad” — interfaith marriage involving Muslim men, according to Hindutva outfits — is a reality.

This came on a day a division bench of Kerala High Court declined to interfere in the relationship of Shejin and Jyotsna, as the latter said she wants to marry him. The court was considering a habeas corpus petition moved by Jyotsna’s family, alleging that she was illegally detained by Shejin.

The woman told the court that she has decided to marry Shejin out of her own will.

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Reacting to party leader Thomas’s remarks, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Tuesday said the ex-MLA’s opinion on the issue is against the party’s stand. “The party’s Kozhikode district leadership had made clear its stand on the issue. The district committee will take necessary action,” he said.

The CPI(M) district leadership had rejected Thomas’s controversial comments and called it a slip of tongue. The DYFI, CPI(M)’s youth front, also came out in support of its local leader, Shejin, from a Muslim family, who wanted to marry Jyotsna Joseph, who comes from a Christian family. Both are from Kodenchery region of Kozhikode.

The issue, meanwhile, refused to die down as the Catholic Church came out against “the volte-face’’ of CPI(M) on the issue. On Tuesday, ‘Deepika’, the Church mouthpiece, stated in an editorial that CPI(M) is afraid of extremists.

“It (party) is not against only Christians, but the Hindu community also raises anxiety over interfaith marriages involving Muslim youths,” it wrote. “Parents of the woman (Joysna) should not be silenced under the guise of secularism and communal harmony.”

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