Shillong, July 30: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, known for his strong stance against ‘love jihad,’ emphasized the need to put a stop to it as it contributes to societal tensions.
Speaking to reporters in Bongaigaon after a state police superintendents’ convention, Sarma expressed his desire for harmonious co-existence between Hindus and Muslims in the state. However, he pointed out that issues like ‘jihad’ and coerced religious conversions lead to conflicts.
The CM highlighted that in most ‘love jihad’ cases, girls are forcibly taken away and then blackmailed with compromising videos. He stressed the importance of investigating such marriages where girls may be converted to another religion under duress. Sarma clarified that a qazi (Muslim cleric) cannot legally register a Hindu-Muslim marriage, and likewise, a Hindu priest cannot do the same. He suggested that if individuals from different religions wish to marry, they should do so under the Special Marriage Act without converting.
News agency PTI reported that while urging parents to guide their children to avoid situations like ‘love jihad,’ Sarma acknowledged the cultural differences between Hindu and Muslim communities, making it challenging for girls in inter-faith marriages to adjust. The CM disclosed that ways to expand investigations into ‘love jihad’ cases were discussed at the convention.
Sarma has directed the police to develop a standard operating procedure to probe ‘love jihad’ cases, which he believes is the root cause of forced religious conversions in the state. Notably, the CM had previously claimed that a recent triple murder case in Golaghat, where a 25-year-old Muslim man killed his Hindu wife and her parents, was a result of ‘love jihad’.