Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said that ‘Love Jihad’ was a phrase manufactured by the Bharatiya Janata Party to create communal disharmony and divide in the country.
Love Jihad is a word manufactured by BJP to divide the Nation & disturb communal harmony. Marriage is a matter of personal liberty, bringing a law to curb it is completely unconstitutional & it will not stand in any court of law. Jihad has no place in Love.1/
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) November 20, 2020
In his tweet, Gehlot said the idea to have law over it goes against an individual’s right to personal liberty and accused BJP of violating them.
‘They are creating an environment in the nation where consenting adults would be at the mercy of state power. Marriage is a personal decision & they are putting curbs on it, which is like snatching away personal liberty,’ Gehlot tweeted. ‘Jihad has no place in love,’ he added.
His comments come at a time when various BJP-ruled states have announced that they will bring legislation against Love Jihaad.
‘Love Jihaad’ is a term used by Hindutva groups to allege that Muslim men, either forcefully or by guile, marry Hindu women with the sole purpose of converting them to Muslims.
Shortly after Gehlot’s tweets, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat responded saying that thousands of young women are trapped because of love jihad. He said if it is a matter of personal liberty, then women should be free to keep their religion and maiden name.
Ashok ji, manufacturing terms, riots and hatred is a Congress prerogative. The BJP has believed in Sabka Vikas hence will ensure our women folk are not subject to injustice of any kind.3/#LoveJihaad #DeshVirodhiCongress
— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) November 20, 2020
Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh Home Department announced that it is mulling to bring strict law against ‘love jihad’ in the state, and has sent a proposal on the same to the Department of Law.
The announcement comes days after Madhya Pradesh and Haryana announced that they would bring a law against ‘love jihad’.
Also Read: Strict Law Against ‘Love Jihad’ Soon: Uttar Pradesh Home Department
