Days after Tina Dabi announced her engagement to the second rank holder Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi, the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha has said that while they were proud of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) topper’s achievements, it was ‘painful’ that she chose to marry a Muslim.
Amidst the wishes that the couple has been receiving for their success and the happiness that lies ahead for the two, the Hindu Mahasabha has called Dabi’s decision a ‘love-jihad’.
Dabi belongs to the Dalit community whereas Athar is a Muslim.
The hindutva outfit, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha has penned a letter to Tina’s father asking him to reconsider his decision to wed the two.
The letter states that Athar should first be persuaded to undergo a ‘ghar-wapiti’ which in simpler terms mean converting to Hinduism and urged Tina’s father to give proper thoughts into the proposed marriage.
The religious outfit also urged Tina’s parents to join force against the ‘conspiracy’. While the recipient of the letter might have come to a surprise to many, the same cannot be said about the contents within it. Hindutva right groups such as the Mahasabha had earlier accused Bollywood celebrities such as Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor of being involved in ‘Love Jihad’.
Khan and Dabi met at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) office in North Block, New Delhi and they started dating after first meeting. While the couple has made their mind, Dabi told that though social media has celebrated their love, but she also recieved many negative comments.
“We met in the morning and by evening Aamir was at my door. For him, it was love at first sight”, she said. She confessed her love in August.
When asked about the criticism she faces on doing so, Dabi said: “We are in love and very happy. But I must admit that I get very disturbed when I read stuff about us. We have stopped googling our names and reading news about ourselves. I think it is a small price to pay for being in the public eye.”
