KOZHIKODE:

said that a host of prominent personalities from the minority community, including

M Abdul Salam, grandson of late

Syed Ummer Bafaqi Thangal, Syed Taha Bafaqi Thangal, and many others will join the

at a function to be held in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, Pillai said that the party has been witnessing tremendous response from the minority and

in the ongoing membership campaign in the state.

“Tens of thousands of people from the minority community have already taken party membership. Among the prominent personalities who will be handed over party membership at the function in Kozhikode include psychiatrist Dr Yahya Khan, National Hospital CEO Dr Jafin, among others,” Pillai added.

He said that convener of BJP’s national membership drive and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan will participate in two programmes in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam organized by Minority Morcha on Thursday, in which large number of people from minority communities will take party membership.

Pillai said that Abdul Salam had approached the party for membership over a year ago after getting attracted towards the development politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Salam had served as Calicut Univesity VC from 2011to 2015 during the tenure of the UDF government.

On the issue of revoking Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Pillai said that CPM along with Congress and IUML are trying to divide people of Kerala on communal lines through planned protests.

“Except in Kerala, there have been no protests anywhere in the country over the Kashmir issue. There is enough reason to suspect that the protests are planned by CPM, Congress and IUML to create communal strife in the state,” Pillai added.

He also demanded a CBI probe into the alleged malpractices conducted by the accused in the University College stabbing case in police recruitment exam.