The Election Commission on Monday asked the Thiruvananthapuram district collector for a report on remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party candidate PK Krishnadas, who claimed that the Left Democratic Front or the United Democratic Front winning the Assembly elections would lead to incidents of “love jihad” in Kerala, The Times of India reported.

The poll body has also sought legal opinion on the matter.

Love jihad is a Hindutva conspiracy theory that Muslim men trick Hindu women into romantic relationships with the aim of converting them to Islam. The Union home ministry has told Parliament that Indian law has no provision defining such a term.

Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said his office would examine the alleged act of hate speech, The Hindu reported.

At a rally on Sunday, Krishnadas, the BJP’s candidate in Kattakada, claimed that organisations such as the Social Democratic Party of India and Jamaat-e-Islami would influence or control the government formed by the Left Democratic Front or the United Democratic Front.

He allegedly said that girls from Hindu and Christian families would be targeted and “recruited under the guise of ‘love jihad’ for anti-national activities in Kerala”, Mathrubhumi reported.

He allegedly said: “When fronts led by Marxists and Congress come to power, who will actually control the government? It will be Pakistan-friendly anti-national groups.”

The speech was delivered at a rally attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Krishnadas spoke after Shah had left the venue, according to The Hindu.

Responding to the controversy, Krishnadas said that his remarks were not directed against any religion and that he maintained his position.

Religious terrorists had no humanity or religion, The Hindu quoted him as saying. He added that he would respond legally to queries from the Election Commission.

BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar has distanced the Hindutva party from the remarks, saying that it did not subscribe to the views expressed by Krishnadas, The Times of India reported.

Assembly elections in Kerala will be held in a single phase on Thursday and the votes will be counted on May 4.