Hyderabad: Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said the Supreme Court order on love jihad in Kerala had given legitimacy to the NIA probe into the issue. He said the NIA had claimed that love jihad was not an isolated incident but a pattern was emerging in Kerala. Mr Rijiju was speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by National Service Sch-eme and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan at IICT here.
“When it is said that some women have reportedly accepted on camera that they have been lured into it (inter-religion wedding), a pattern is visible in the issue,” he said. He added, “The probe of the NIA on this so-called ‘love jihad’ is being given some kind of legitimacy by the judgement you have heard, which has come from the honourable Supreme Court.”
Mr Rijiju refused to comment on the case when it is being investigated but said: “This is an issue on which local people have felt that there is something behind the pattern. There is a pattern which is visible. But, If I make a comment, as I said, because I am from the home ministry, people may twist this issue into some different angle.” Asked about the reported comments of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah that India faced a threat from within, the minister said the country is capable of dealing with any internal or external threat.
Earlier, in his address at the ‘Youth convention on national security: Modi governnment’s efforts and achie-vements’, Mr Rijuju said the situation in J&K was becoming normal “because our government is committed to tackling the challenge”.
