New Delhi:

Maharashtra could join the list of states that have a law against forced conversions and “love jihad” with the state government setting up a panel to study the aspects that can be covered under a future legislation. The seven-member panel will be headed by the director general of police, the top cop in the state, and include officials from the women and child welfare, minority affairs, law and judiciary, social justice, special assistance and Home departments. 

“Love jihad” is a term used by some to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women to marry them and then convert them to Islam.

In a government resolution issued on Friday, the BJP-led government in Maharashtra said the committee will suggest steps to deal with complaints of forced conversions and “love jihad”, and study the laws of other states to recommend legislation to prevent such acts. 

Thanking Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the state government is taking steps to curb incidents of “love jihad”. 

“Love jihad is a serious issue, and the state government is working towards preventing such incidents. The committee established to address cases of love jihad will work for the protection of women and preservation of cultural values,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Mr Lodha also pointed out that when he was in charge of the Women and Child Development department under the previous government led by Eknath Shinde, he had set up the Interfaith Marriage Coordination Committee, which helped bring such incidents to light. 

“Shraddha Walkar was brutally murdered by Aftab Amin. Rupali Chandanshive was killed by Iqbal Sheikh. Poonam Kshirsagar was murdered by Nizam Khan. Yashashree Shinde from Uran was killed by Dawood Sheikh. Sonam Shukla from Malad lost her life at the hands of Shahjib Ansari,” he said. 

Lok Sabha MP and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) Working President Supriya Sule, however, said the government should focus on tackling economic issues rather than love and marriage, which are personal choices. 

“If the economy is impacted, the entire country will suffer,” she said. 

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are among the states that already have laws to deal with cases of “love jihad”.

Last year, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly had passed the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 with provisions for 20-year imprisonment or a life sentence if a person was converted under threat or a promise of marriage.  

Bengaluru:

The gruesome murder of a Karnataka corporator’s daughter has become the latest flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress leader’s daughter was stabbed seven times by a former student of the college she was attending in Hubbali. Cops suspect that he murdered her because she rejected his advances.

Neha Hiremath, 23, was a first-year student of Master of Computer Applications and Fayaz Khondunaik was earlier her classmate. According to a senior police officer, Fayaz, who stabbed her multiple times, claimed during interrogation the two had been in a relationship but she had been avoiding him of late.

The issue has snowballed into a political slugfest between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP. While the ruling party has tried to project it as an incident from a personal angle, the BJP has said it shows the deterioration of law and order in the state.

Union Minister and Dharwad Lok Sabha BJP candidate Pralhad Joshi suspected that there was a love jihad angle behind the incident.

There is a complete deterioration of law and order under the Congress regime, he alleged, urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop minority appeasement politics and special treatment to a “particular community.” However, Home Minister G Parameshwara said there was no “love jihad” angle as of now.

What has exacerbated the state government’s troubles is the girl’s father also calling the crime a ‘Love Jihad’ case. Niranjan Hiremath, a Congress corporator, claimed that the accused had planned to “trap his daughter”.

“The gang had conspired for a long time. They had planned either to trap her or to execute her. They have been threatening her in that backdrop. However, the girl had not heeded to their threats,” Mr Hiremath told the media.

“The whole state and country witnessed what happened to my daughter. If they say that it is personal, what is personal in this? Are they my relatives?” he added.

Love jihad spreading, take care of your girls: K’taka Cong Corporator and father of murder victim pic.twitter.com/i6eXX5Jjom

— IANS (@ians_india) April 19, 2024

Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi also launched a scathing attacking attack on the Congress government in the state saying that the C in the party’s name stands for “corruption, criminality, and communal violence.”

“For any government, it is a salient duty to ensure that our children acquire the proper moral and ethical lessons in schools. Even the people should have requisite awareness in this regard,” the BJP MP told news agency ANI.

“People should have the belief that the law and machinery of a state will ensure that those who do wrong are brought to book. However, the Congress has failed abjectly in this regard (in Karnataka),” she added.

The Congress retorted by saying that the state has the best law and order and the BJP was trying to impose the Governor’s rule in Karnataka.

“The BJP is trying to threaten us… Karnataka has the best law and order… They want to tell voters that they’re going to impose Governor’s rule. That’s what R Ashoka (BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition) is trying confidentially. They want to place the state under the Governor’s rule, that’s why they are doing all this drama. But they can’t do that. It’s impossible,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.

A large group of right-wing activists have also been protesting outside Hubballi’s Vidyanagar police station and shouting slogans. Similar protests, calling for severe punishment for the Muslim accused, have been reported in various other places.