Kozhikode: Samastha Kerala Jem'iyyathul Ulema leader Sayyid Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal said on Sunday that Muslims do not have a 'love jihad' agenda.
He was addressing the media after meeting Congress leaders VD Satheesan and K Sudhakaran over the narcotic jihad controversy that was kickstarted by Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt.
"While hearing things like love jihad and narcotic jihad, the public will come under an impression that Muslims are doing something like that, but no Muslims have no such agenda," said Jifri Thangal.
"No madrasa teaches any such thing. Love is something that is everywhere. It does not happen based on whether a person is Muslim or non-Muslim," he added.
Thangal said that neither was it right on the part of religious leaders to make statements that hurt other communities nor just for the government to justify it.
"The government should not promote such things. Recently, BJP leader CK Padmanabhan said that one shouldn't blame a particular community in such cases and that is the right thing to say," said Jifri Thangal.
He also referred to another recent controversy involving a handbook issued by the Thamarassery diocese for its laity that had alleged the Muslim community of encouraging religious conversion of Christian girls.
The diocese had apologised and withdrawn the controversial sections after Muslim leaders and IUML's MK Muneer met with Thamarassery Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil.