‘Do you want to become prostitutes,’ ask 'love jihad' pamphlets in Vadodara

Vadodara: Pamphlets on ‘love jihad’ with the message: "Do you want to become a prostitute? No? Then read, think and behave," have reportedly been circulated in parts of Vadodara in Gujarat, ahead of the Lok Sabha bypolls.

The pamphlets were in Gujarati and name the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) as source.

It further gives statistics that claim an increasing number of Hindu women are being lured by Muslim men into marriage and are living as "second, third or fourth wives".

These pamphlets have alarmed police, and an investigation is on.

The pamphlets reportedly say, "For the last 10 years, dons like Dawood Ibrahim, Haji Mastan have spent crores in Hindi films and serials. Hindu priests and saints are shown in a bad light in these films and serials whereas Muslim clerics are shown in a good light. Hindu girls are shown romancing Muslim heroes in films, Muslims boys get influenced by this and as part of an international conspiracy they dress up well and roam around in motorbikes to trap our Hindu daughters and sisters.”

VHP has refused to comment on the pamphlets.

Adding to the controversy, RSS-linked groups have stepped up a campaign against ‘Love Jihad’ - a term for what they consider to be an Islamist strategy to convert Hindu women through seduction, marriage and money.

Previous police investigations have found no evidence of an organised ‘Love Jihad’. But the concept has gained credence across central India in recent weeks, leading to sometimes-violent protests, despite being considered an absurd conspiracy theory by mainstream, moderate Indians.

While avoiding the term ‘love jihad’, the BJP last week adopted the subject of forced conversions as a campaign issue ahead of September 13 by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Ahead of the by-elections in UP, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath has been accused of delivering inflammatory speeches.

In one video he asks supporters to convert 100 Muslim women through marriage every time a Muslim man marries a Hindu. In another, he said religious riots happen wherever more than 10 per cent of the population is Muslim.

However, Adityanath said the footage was doctored.