With political parties trying to wash their hands off over the controversy of love jihad, they also claimed that it was not a political issue but a media creation. While the Bharatiya Janata Party has not held any party responsible for it, the Congress and Samajwadi Party have put the blame solely on the former.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad used the term ‘love jihad’ as a conspiracy hatched to get young Muslim men to ensnare Hindu women by feigning love in order to increase the Muslim population.
Senior VHP leader from Kashi Manoj Srivastava said, “Muslim men marry Hindu girls so that they can give birth to kids and there would be a population explosion (woh isliye shaadi karte hain taki bachha paida karne ki machine bana sake aur jansankhya ka visphot ho sake). They want to rule over the country (desh par kabza kar sake).
He also held chief ministers and other leaders responsible for supporting love jihad in order to garner Muslim votes but fell short of naming any party. “Over two lakh cases of love jihad are reported every year,” he added.
He appealed to the government to constitute a body of eminent people and bring out a white paper on the condition of such women.
Meanwhile, the blame game continued over the issue. Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi held the media responsible for making it an issue. “It is not a political issue but a media issue. The party has nothing to say on it,” said Naqvi.
Keeping itself away from the controvesy, the BJP had dropped the term in its political resolution. Uttar Pradesh BJP President Laxmikant Bajpai said, “There was no mention of love jihad when the resolution was presented or when it was passed.”
He added, “It is not about any religion or caste. Anyone who cheats should be punished. An offender is an offender be it of any religion, caste, region.”
The SP was quick to hit out at the BJP saying it has made it a political issue to spread hatred in the country.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, “It is the character of the BJP to make any issue a political one and use it. The BJP is to be blamed for spreading hatred and creating tensions in the country.”
Refusing to be drawn into any controversy, the Congress party said that it was not an issue. Senior Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, “As the BJP is unable to fulfil its promises and commitments, it is raking up such issues to polarise the society. Several issues are deliberately floated by the BJP.”
She added, “Every adult has the freedom to choose his or her own course. The law of the land should be maintained.”
