Mumbai: BJP on Saturday launched an attack on those opposing the state govt’s planned ‘love jihad’ legislation, with party MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha citing ‘instances’ of young men from minority communities causing deaths of girls from other communities in relationship cases.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut criticised the govt’s ‘rhetoric mafia’ for raising issues that disturb public harmony, while Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh accused the govt of using the term ‘jihad’ to target minorities and create communal divisions.
The state plans to implement legislation against forced conversion, particularly in interfaith marriages. A committee, led by the DGP, has been formed to assess the situation and suggest measures regarding ‘love jihad’ complaints and forced conversions.
Shaikh expressed support for general legislation against forced or enticed conversions but opposed the use of the term ‘jihad’ in the law, stating it creates community divisions by targeting minorities. He stated, “Such laws should be backed by statistics of such cases and should be general in nature instead of defaming a minority through choice of words, which is nothing but playing politics over the issue.”
Lodha posted on social media, “Who killed the innocent Hindu girls in the love jihad cases? With what sentiment did they do it? Even when it is in front of us, some MLAs say that things like love jihad do not happen. But how can you say that when such incidents are taking place.”
Raut told media, “In whichever state there is a BJP govt, they keep raising the issue of conversion, ‘love jihad’ to create disturbance.”