After UP and Haryana, 'love jihad' rhetoric hits Mangaluru

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurapp's push for introducing a law against "love jihad" has drawn criticism from Opposition parties, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress saying that the BJP wanted to spread "goonda raj" like prevailing in Uttar Pradesh, another state ruled by BJP. 

Addressing state BJP executive meeting in Mangaluru, the chief minister said on Thursday that his government was in consultation with legal experts to bring in a law against "love jihad". 

Earlier, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had called "love jihad" a "social evil" and had demanded a law against it. "Love jihad has been there for some time and it is a social evil. A law is necessary - that has been the loud thinking of various sections of society in all states," he had said.

AAP lashes out

Hitting out at the state BJP, AAP Karnataka convener Prithvi Reddy urged the state government to not try to divert public attention from the real issues like unemployment, COVID-19 managment, losses due to floods and losses due to heavy rain in Bengaluru.

"We already have strict laws against slaughtering of cow and forced religion conversions in our country. Why does BJP need to make new laws when these laws are already there? BJP should stop playing with sentiments of people based on these two topics," the AAP leader told reporters on Saturday. 

He alleged that BJP's meeting in Mangaluru to spread communal conflict in the state. "BJP is trying to convert cities in Karnataka into cities similar to Muzzafarnagar of Uttar Pradesh. BS Yediyurappa is trying to convert the peaceful state of Karnataka into a violent Jungle Raj like Yogi led government in UP," he said.

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also slammed the state BJP leaders and called the CM's statement as a "frivolous attempt to divert public attention".

"Karnataka CM has announced to enact a law to ban 'love jihad'. This is nothing but BJP's another frivolous attempt to divert public attention from their miserable administrative and policy failures. BJP wants to ignite communal flare for their political gains," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet. 

He further wrote, "'Love Jihad' is not defined in any legal document. This fact is accepted in the Parliament by BJP's own Minister of State for Home affairs. Then based on what will BS Yediyurapp enact a law?"

Speaking at the state executive meeting, the chief minister had said, "We have seen many reports in newspapers and in the electronic media about conversions due to love jihad. I discussed this with officials before coming here. I don't know about other states - but in Karnataka we are going to end this."

"The luring of young girls with the use of money or love is something we are taking seriously. We will take stern measures towards ending this," Yediyurappa had said.

The CM's statement comes after the announcement by BJP-ruled states Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh to consider of bringing such a law. 

Allahabad High Court judgement 

In a judgement earlier this year, the Allahabad High Court had held religious conversion for the purpose of marriage as illegal. The court delivered the order while dismissing the petition of an interfaith couple in Uttar Pradesh asking that the police and the woman's father be directed not to harass them. 

Referring to the high court's order, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath last week invoked a Hindu funeral chant to warn people involved in "love jihad" of death. "Love jihadis will say Ram Naam Satya Hai," he had said during a public gathering. 

What is 'love jihad'?

It is a term used by Hindu right-wing outfits for an alleged conspiracy where Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage and convert them to Islam. In February, the Union Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha the term was not defined under the extant laws.