KM Ashokan, the father of 26-year-old Hadiya who was at the heart of the Kerala ‘love jihad’ controversy, has joined the BJP and reportedly pledged his support to the party’s legal battle against entry of young women at Sabrimala’s Lord Ayyappa temple.

Ashokan was given the membership at BJP’s Sabarimala Protection meeting by party general secretary B Gopalakrishnan on Monday.

“I was a Communist Party follower since childhood. But the party is playing dirty vote-bank politics with an eye on minority votes… 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 purview of courts. Let religious scholars and other decide on such issues,” a report in Hindustan Times quoted Ashokan as saying.

Ashokan was given the membership at BJP’s Sabarimala Protection meeting by party general secretary B Gopalakrishnan on Monday.

The Supreme Court had earlier this year restored the marriage of Hadiya, who was born Akhila, with Shafin Jahan after she countered her father’s allegation that she was forced into the marriage and conversion to Islam as part of an elaborate ‘love jihad’ conspiracy.

In her affidavit to the Supreme Court, Hadiya had said that her father was an atheist and suspected that “certain sections” were using him for their own motives.

"It appears to me that my father is under the influence of certain sections of people who are trying to use him. Otherwise, I do not see how my father, who is an atheist, would object to me changing my religion or marrying someone from a different religion," she had said.

Hadiya had said that the people were “playing” her father. "I further submit that all those people played and are still playing behind my father and all those errant personnel, both official and non-official, who subjected or caused to subject me to the horrendous torture and torments are liable to be brought to justice."