Love marriage: Love jihad allegations against CPM leader; will support those who want to live together, says DYFI

KOZHIKODE: Relatives of a woman have levelled love jihad allegations against a Muslim CPM leader who eloped and married a Christian woman. Although the couple has denied the allegations, the controversy did not subside. The CPM local leadership has called for an explanatory meeting in the area following allegations that the party had helped the two.

Nooramthodu native Shejin, a CPM local committee member and DYFI regional secretary from Kodancherry, and Theyyapara native Jyotsna Mary Joseph, a nurse in Saudi Arabia, got married after eloping from the area. The two have been in love for seven months. Jyotsna arrived in Kerala two weeks ahead of her engagement with another man. She left home last Saturday and got married to Shejin. Her parents had lodged a complaint with the Kodancherry police stating that their daughter was missing. Later, the relatives and locals had marched to the station alleging that the police had not taken further action.

As soon as people started raising love jihad allegations, Jyotsna came up stating that she got married of her own will. However, her family alleged that Jyotsna was saying this under pressure and that the couple had the support of CPM leaders to stay in hiding. Meanwhile, Shejin and Jyotsna appeared in the Thamarassery court. The court allowed the two to live together.

CPM Kozhikode district secretariat member George M Thomas said that Shejin's action was not right. "If they were in love, Shejin should have informed the party. He did not speak to anyone in the party unit or organization. The allegation that the CPM had helped the two is not true," he said.

Meanwhile, the DYFI has come up with an explanation on the issue. SK Sajeesh, state treasurer of the organization, explained the issue on social media. 'The allegations that came up following the marriage between DYFI regional secretary Shejin and partner Jyotsna are unfortunate. The marriage of two adult individuals is their private matter. DYFI will support those who want to love and live together, regardless of caste or creed. The term love jihad is an agenda deliberately fabricated by the established forces,' Sajeesh wrote on Facebook.