All you need to know about BJP’s 4-pronged attack on ‘love jihad’

New Delhi, Nov 18 : Two years back, the term ‘love jihad’ was just a part of the fringe discourse, used mainly by the Bajrang Dal or the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). Today, it has been mainstreamed, so much so that four state governments — all ruled by the BJP — have expressed their intent to bring a law to contain this phenomenon.
The word ‘love jihad’ is particularly used to insinuate that the union is not out of affection, but with the sole intent to convert the partner. The proposed laws by the four states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Haryana — seek to stop that.
The state that appears to have gone beyond the sketchy objections is Shivraj Singh Chouhan-ruled Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is comfortably placed after sweeping the recently concluded bypolls. The state government functionaries have not only expressed their desire to bring a legislation in the forthcoming winter session of the House, but one that will also make conversion for the purpose of marriage a ‘cognisable’ and ‘non-bailable’ offence.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra is a power centre in the state whom the BJP is increasingly giving more responsibilities. He told reporters in Bhopal earlier this week, “The draft bill for the proposed legislation, called Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantra Vidheyak 2020, is ready. The said bill will be tabled in the coming winter session of the Assembly.” Just recently, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too had issued a warning, stating, “Jihad in the name of love would not be tolerated in Madhya Pradesh.” The term ‘jihad’ refers to religious war. While on a broader scale, the idea is to stop any religious conversion for marriages, organisations such as the VHP claims that the phenomenon is particularly prevalent where a Muslim boy enters into a wedlock with a Hindu girl by converting her.