‘UDF, LDF failed to ensure justice to T J Joseph’

KOCHI: Both the UDF and the LDF have failed to ensure justice to T J Joseph, the former professor of Newman College, Thodupuzha, whose right palm was chopped off by an armed gang for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammed in a question paper in 2010, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has said.“Joseph’s case is a befitting reply to CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who had raised doubts whether jihadis were active in Kerala,” he said. Kummanam, who is leading the BJP’s Jana Raksha Yatra, visited T J Joseph at his residence in Muvattupuzha on Thursday.  

Kummanam alleged no arrests were made in the case for the past seven years due to the callous attitude of the successive governments . “These forces are attempting to recruit Akhila to Syria. The hand chopping incident had shaken the collective conscience of society, but Shafeen Jahan, who married Akhila after converting her to Islam, backed this dastardly act in his Facebook post,” he said.

Kerala, Kummanam said,  has turned into a haven for jihadis and the police and the state government itself have informed this matter to the High Court. However, the government has offered all support to Popular Front, which is behind such activities, to hold a conference in the state. BJP is the only political party which demanded a ban on Popular Front while the other two fronts’ efforts are to provide all assistance to it, he alleged.BJP state chief also accused the government of not disbursing medical aid to Joseph. BJP national general secretary Anil Jain, former state president P K Krishnadas and state general secretary M T Ramesh were also present.