Father of Akhila, a love jihad victim joins BJP

The high profile Love Jihad case of Akhila, a 26-years old homeopathy doctor who later made national headlines when the case was probed by NIA, took a new twist when her father KM Ashokan joined the BJP and pledged his support for the stand of BJP against the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala temple.

The Hadiya (previously known as Akhila) case came into limelight after the homeopathy doctor converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shefin Jahan, who was a member of Social Democratic Party, the political wing of PFI (Popular Front of India) an extremist organization notorious for its anti-India activities.

Her father filed a complaint reporting his daughter as missing and in the custody of Aboobacker, a friend of Hadiya. He then filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the High Court. But Akhila refuted her father’s version of the story and went on to complete a ‘course’ to understand Islam and converted to Islam. She also got a new name Hadiya.

Akhila’s inclination towards Islam started by observing two of her roommates Faseena and Jaseela. Later, she went for conversion and started observing fasts and posting verses from the Quran on Facebook. She even refused to join her grandmother’s funeral and told that she was following Islam and could not do Hindu rituals. Her father KM Ashokan, despite being a prominent Hindu, was not against her till this point. Later she planned to marry a Muslim guy. 

A police officer looking into the matter said the marriage plans were the tipping point for Hadiya’s father. He said, Ashokan, was not as concerned about his daughter’s conversion until then. “The news of Kerala Muslims leaving to join the Islamic State along with their wives, a few of them converts, worried him. He told his daughter about his fears. Hadiya vowed she would not go anywhere. But, on August 16, 2016, Ashokan filed a writ petition in the high court, alleging there was a move to take his daughter out of India,” he added.

Akhila’ love interest, Shefin Jahan was an active member of PFI, which is an extremist and militant Islamic fundamentalist organization in India. PFI portrays as a neo-social movement committed to empowering people to ensure justice and freedom but actually, it serves as recruitment wing for ISIS.

 The Kerala High Court that was looking into the case gave the verdict that the marriage was feigned and ordered for the annulment of the marriage. Hadiya’s father, who has now joined the BJP, said, “I was a Communist Party follower since my childhood. But of late the party is playing dirty vote-bank politics eyeing minority votes. I failed to understand if somebody talks about Hindus he turns communal in no time.”

KM Ashokan told that he participate in ongoing stir for Sabarimala and added, “Like many Hindus of Kerala, I am also torn between my belief and law. I personally believe customs and traditions should not come under the preview of courts. Let religious scholars and others decide on such issues”.