New Delhi: The controversy surrounding a new law on ‘love jihad’
Maharashtra Minister Aslam Shaikh too came down heavily on the move by some states to enact laws to prevent ‘love jihad’ and forceful conversions.
"The governments that want to hide their inadequacies are bringing in such laws. The Maharashtra government is doing its work efficiently, and it does not need to bring such laws," Shaikh said.
to prevent forced conversions of Hindus by their Muslim lovers continues to create headlines in the country a day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that ‘love jihad’ is a term "manufactured by BJP" to disturb communal harmony.
Wading into the controversy, a former Chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University said that nobody can stop two consenting adults from falling in love.
"No power on earth can stop two consenting adults from falling in love. The law will be effective only when some forced conversion/abduction happens," Zafar Sareshwala, who is also an activist, said.
BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh recently said that they are considering the enactment of laws to curb marriages where Hindu women face harassment and forced conversion by their Muslim partners in the name of love.
"Love jihad is a word manufactured by BJP to divide the nation and disturb communal harmony. Jihad has no place in love. They are creating an environment in the nation where consenting adults would be at the mercy of state power. Marriage is a personal decision and they are putting curbs on it, which is like snatching away personal liberty. It seems a ploy to disrupt communal harmony, fuel social conflict and disregard constitutional provisions like the state not discriminating against citizens on any ground," Gehlot had posted on social media platform Twitter.
The BJP hit back at Gehlot for his comments, with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat questioning back that if marriage is a matter of personal liberty, why women are not free to use their maiden name or religion.
"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? Why are families of girls too forced to accept the other religion? Isn’t religion a matter of personal liberty?" the senior BJP leader tweeted.
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