K. Surendran, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary, has taken a dig at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and Keralam Local Self-Government Department Minister K.M. Shaji’s comments that Muslim girls account for the largest share of followers on atheist social media pages.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Surendran said on Tuesday, “Patriarchy smashed... again! Kerala Minister & IUML leader K.M. Shaji is worried about the “progress” of Muslim women. He says Muslim girls are increasingly following atheist pages, that Muslim organisations have failed to “guide” them, and that this trend is a serious concern. So, the question to Rahul Gandhiji: A minister in your government is publicly expressing concern about the choices and changing beliefs of Muslim women. Will you speak up for their freedom of choice? Or does “women’s freedom” come with a different rulebook?”.

Addressing a national seminar at the University of Calicut on September 27, Mr. Shaji had said young Muslim women were engaging with atheist content online. He also expressed concern over whether community organisations have adequately understood or guided this progress.