‘BJP coined love jihad to divide nation,’ says Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for coining the time period “love jihad” to divide the nation and create communal discord. He stated there isn’t a jihad in love whereas citing the time period the Hindu proper makes use of to explain marriages between Muslim males and Hindu ladies.

“Love jihad is a word manufactured by the BJP to divide the nation and disturb communal harmony. Marriage is a matter of personal liberty, bringing a law to curb it is completely unconstitutional and it will not stand in any court of law. Jihad has no place in love,” Gehlot tweeted.

Gehlot’s remarks got here two days after Madhya Pradesh introduced it should enact a regulation to control interfaith marriages with a provision of 5 years in jail for forcible conversion. Other BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have additionally stated they are going to legislate to control inter-faith marriages.

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Gehlot is the primary senior Congress chief to talk out on the difficulty. He criticised the BJP for creating an atmosphere, the place consenting adults could be on the mercy of state energy for marriage.

“Marriage is a personal decision and they are putting curbs on it, which is like snatching away personal liberty,” he stated. “It seems a ploy to disrupt communal harmony, fuel social conflict & disregard constitutional provisions like the state not discriminating against citizens on any ground.”

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reacted to Gehlot’s tweets saying will deceit after spiritual conversions and altering of names not be known as “love jihad”.

“Dear Ashok ji, Love Jihad is a trap that has thousands of young women believing the marriage is a personal affair, where later it turns out it isn’t. Also, if it is a matter of personal liberty, then why are the women not free to keep their maiden name or religion?” Shekhawat requested. “Ashok ji, Since Congress wants to support this act of deceit under the garb of personal liberty, isn’t it becomes a blatant display of its communal agenda… The BJP has believed in Sabka Vikas hence will ensure our women folk are not subject to injustice of any kind.”

BJP MLA and former schooling minister Vasudev Devnani additionally requested Gehlot to carry regulation in state, like Madhya Pradesh, stating that ‘love jihad’ must be stopped. “The CM holds the home department and the matter is of serious concern. A strong law should be made against love jihad,” he stated.

Political analyst Narayan Bareth stated an environment has been created whereby it’s believed that such legal guidelines could be introduced for focusing on a selected group. He added it’s geared toward polarisation. “Gehlot, being a prominent leader of Congress, would have understood the need to speak on the issue as it was getting traction and cannot be left unaddressed. His comments come at the time when the Congress leadership is busy handling infighting after the debacle in Bihar and show Gehlot’s growing political stature.”