BJP drops mention of 'love jihad', rakes up crime against Hindu women in UP
Mathura: After breathing fire over 'lovejihad', BJP on Sunday dropped mention of it in the party's political resolution but continued to rake up the issue of alleged crime by men of minority community against Hindu women as part of efforts to consolidate its vote bank ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The political resolution passed at the party's two-day state executive meet made no direct reference to 'love jihad' (marriage between a Muslim man and a Hindu woman), but wondered, "Is it just a coincidence or a design behind atrocities against women of a particular community and perpetrated by those belonging to a particular community?"
BJP accused the Samajwadi Party government of shielding crime by men belonging to a particular caste and religion against women belonging to a particular community without using the word 'Hindu'.
It also sought to rake up communal issue by saying the state government was openly protecting those involved in animal slaughter.
State party chief Laxmikant Bajpai had in his inaugural address on Saturday asked youths to be vigilant on the issue of 'love jihad', questioning whether men of the minority community have got the licence to convert and rape women of majority community.
However, interestingly, the political resolution passed today did not have any reference to 'love jihad'.
When asked why the resolution was silent on 'love jihad', Bajpai said, "It was not on the agenda, so there is no question of having it in the resolution."
After its grand performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, where it bagged 71 of the 80 seats, BJP asked its workers to strengthen the organisation from the booth level so that it can come to power in the state with thumping majority.
It asked partymen to launch a people's movement against "complete anarchy and lawlessness" and oppose "communal appeasement and crumbling law and order".
Asked to comment on the issue, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said, "I think 'love jihad' is a reality. It is a jihad against the Hindu community based on fooling and misleading the women of Hindu community.
"Otherwise, we would never interfere with somebody marrying out of love or out of personal preference but, as in the case of conversion, we will not agree where inducements are involved."
Congress leader Manish Tewari attacked the ruling party and accused it of engaging in religious polarisation.
"Love jihad is an oxymoron. There cannot be a jihad for love. They actually fall into two separate brackets and if BJP does not understand this... and wants to link the two to carry forth its agenda of religious polarisation, then I can only say that they insult the intelligence of Indians," charged Tewari.
"It is extremely unfortunate that between the administrative apathy of Samajwadi Party and the agenda of religious polarisation of BJP, this country is absolutely going south," he added.
