Kerala BJP chief flags ‘Islam-friendly gym’ in Palakkad; urges CM Satheesan to act

Kerala BJP president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday urged Chief Minister V D Satheesan to ensure there was no appeasement of radical groups after reports emerged of an "Islam-friendly gym" being launched in the northern district of Palakkad.

In a post on X, Chandrasekhar, who represents the Nemom Assembly constituency, directly addressed the chief minister and wrote: "We will not allow this creeping subterfuge in our state, CM Shri @vdsatheesan. You have made claims that there will be no appeasement. Please live up to it before things boil over."

The BJP leader was responding to a social media post claiming that a gym in Palakkad had been converted to operate under Islamic guidelines.

According to the post, the gym would not play music, would have separate workout timings for men and women, and female members would be expected to follow Islamic dress requirements, including wearing a hijab. It also claimed that people from other faiths could join if they agreed to comply with the rules.

Criticising the development, Chandrasekhar said: "The BJP-NDA predicted this dangerous politics. #ApakadamPolitics."

"A Cong/IUML/Jamaat-e-Islami government would talibanise parts of Kerala, creating pockets of radical Islam contrary to the Constitution of India and every law of this land," he claimed.

"Reality is that when a government is built on appeasement as a political policy, radical groups use that to push their agenda because they do not fear the law," the BJP MLA added.

There was no immediate response from the Chief Minister's Office to Chandrasekhar's remarks.

Earlier, media reports claimed that a gymnasium in Puthunagaram, Palakkad, was preparing to begin operations based on Islamic principles.

The gym, which has reportedly been functioning for the past 15 years, was recently renovated. Following the renovation, its owner announced on Instagram that the facility would undergo a major transformation to become fully "Islam-friendly."

The owner reportedly clarified that the decision was not driven solely by profit or the goal of increasing revenue.

According to reports, the gym would continue to admit people from all faiths, provided they were willing to adhere to the prescribed rules.

Under the proposed guidelines, no music would be played inside the facility. Men and women would work out separately, with dedicated timings allocated for each group.

Another requirement is that 'awrah' must be fully covered while exercising. In Islamic law, 'awrah' refers to parts of the body that are required to be concealed.