Asokan, father of Hadiya, who was in the news for a fake case of ‘Love Jihad’, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, according to a report in Asianet News. The report quotes Asokan stating that he is free to join any party that he chooses and right now, the best party in India is the BJP. “Maybe because I was in the Army, I feel the BJP is essential for India’s future. BJP is the only party that protects the Hindu culture. Although Congress is also like that, they are not fully committed,” he says.

Hadiya, formerly Akhila Asokan, had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, Shafin Jehan. Their marriage was annulled by the High Court of Kerala after Asokan filed a habeas corpus petition. Shafin Jehan then moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order. In November 2017, the Supreme Court freed Hadiya of her parent’s custody and allowed her to go back to finish her studies. Her marriage, conversion to Islam and the question of her “indoctrination” remained sub judice, with the NIA continuing its investigation into the matter. In March 2018, the Supreme Court finally restored Hadiya’s marriage, 10 months after the Kerala High Court annulled it. The media had falsely dubbed the case to be of ‘forced conversion’ and ‘Love Jihad’, despite Hadiya’s repeated testimonies stating that she had converted to Islam of her own accord and that her marriage to Shafin Jehan had nothing to do with it.