<p>The chief minister of the Indian state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on Wednesday (Oct 22) that his government is going to introduce "historic" bills on "love jihad" and polygamy. He said he will reveal the bills in the coming session of the Assam Legislative Assembly.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>“This year, the Assembly will see the introduction of historic bills related to love jihad, polygamy, and the protection of the State’s Vaishnavite Satras. These proposals will be discussed in the House, and once the bills are enacted, we will inform the media accordingly,” Sarma told reporters.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The next Assembly session is likely to take place next month. Sarma said he will share the proposal in public once the draft gets approved by the cabinet. "We will be able to tell you the details when the cabinet approves the same,” Sarma added.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This came after Sarma's repeated calls for legal measures to stop practices like polygamy and "love jihad" (A term used by right-wing groups to allege that Muslim men marry Hindu women to convert their religion).</p>

This came after Sarma repeated calls for legal measures to stop practices like polygamy and love jihad (A term used by right-wing groups to allege that Muslim men marry Hindu women to convert their religion).

The chief minister of the Indian state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on Wednesday (Oct 22) that his government is going to introduce "historic" bills on "love jihad" and polygamy. He said he will reveal the bills in the coming session of the Assam Legislative Assembly. “This year, the Assembly will see the introduction of historic bills related to love jihad, polygamy, and the protection of the State’s Vaishnavite Satras. These proposals will be discussed in the House, and once the bills are enacted, we will inform the media accordingly,” Sarma told reporters. The next Assembly session is likely to take place next month. Sarma said he will share the proposal in public once the draft gets approved by the cabinet. "We will be able to tell you the details when the cabinet approves the same,” Sarma added. This came after Sarma's repeated calls for legal measures to stop practices like polygamy and "love jihad" (A term used by right-wing groups to allege that Muslim men marry Hindu women to convert their religion).

<p>This came after Sarma's repeated calls for legal measures to stop practices like polygamy and "love jihad" (A term used by right-wing groups to allege that Muslim men marry Hindu women to convert their religion).</p>

Assam to introduce 'historic' bills on 'love jihad' and polygamy. Details inside

<p>Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said his government will soon introduce a law for life imprisonment in cases of ‘land&nbsp;jihad’ and ‘love jihad’.</p>

<p>He also said several measures have been initiated to “protect” land rights and government jobs for indigenous people.</p>

<p>Speaking at the state BJP’s extended executive meet here, Sarma said, “We spoke about ‘love jihad’ during the elections. Soon, we will bring a law, which will award life imprisonment in such cases.” The term ‘love jihad’ is used by right-wing groups to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.</p>

<p>Sarma said a new domicile policy will also be introduced soon, under which only those born in Assam will be eligible for state government jobs.</p>

<p>Asserting that his government has been working to protect the rights of indigenous people, the CM said they have been accorded priority in the “one lakh government jobs” provided as per a pre-poll promise, which will be evident when the complete list is published.</p>

<p>In contrast, people of a “particular community” had got up to 30 per cent of constable jobs in the state police force under the Congress government, when the incumbent Dhubri MP was in charge of the Home Department, Sarma claimed, without elaborating further.</p>

<p>Congress’ Rakibul Hussain had won the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat in this year’s elections.</p>

<p>Sarma said that while “encroached land equal to the size of Chandigarh” has been freed from illegal settlers by his government, land equal to “20 times of the northern Union Territory” is still under the grasp of encroachers in the state.</p>

<p>Among other initiatives to protect land rights are a resolution to bring in a law to forbid sale of land to people of a “particular community” in undivided Goalpara district.</p>

<p>“The undivided Goalpara holds much importance for our Koch-Rajbongshi community. But, people of a particular community took away our land and made us minority in our own place,” he alleged.</p>

<p>Under the proposed new law, land owned by tribals and people belonging to Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Castes will not be allowed to be transferred in undivided Goalpara, he said.</p>

<p>Similarly, a law will be enacted to allow transfer of land in Barpeta, Majuli and Batadrawa, important centres for followers of Vaishnavism, among residents of these areas only, Sarma said.</p>

<p>“If the public wants more areas to be protected in a similar manner, we will do it. We know that we cannot chase away anyone to Bangladesh, but with the last ounce of power in us, we will work to secure the future of Assam,” he asserted.</p>

<p>The CM said the Assam government has also taken a decision regarding the sale of land between Hindus and Muslims.</p>

<p>He said though the government cannot prevent such a transaction, it has made it mandatory to take consent of the chief minister before going ahead.</p>

<p>The state government had issued a similar notification on March 7, stopping sale of land between two different communities for three months to avoid any possible “conflict on communal lines” ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>Sarma said another legislation will be enacted for creation of “micro tribal belts and blocks” to protect villages or small, scattered settlements of tribals outside the notified belts and blocks.</p>

<p>Referring to the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the chief minister claimed that the agitation was one of “deceit as not more than eight people have applied under it” in the state thus far.</p>

<p>Sarma said his government will be taking a “bold step” to clear the biometrics of nine lakh people, collected and “frozen” during updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).</p>

<p>He maintained that the BJP has been able to secure a third straight term at the Centre on the basis of its work for the masses, as he took a dig at the Congress for trying to downplay the saffron party’s winning streak.</p>

<p>“Congress has been trying to project as if their 99 seats are bigger than our 240 seats. Perhaps, it is so as per mathematics followed in Bangladesh or Pakistan, but it is not so in India,” he said.</p>

<p>Sarma also asserted that the BJP will return to power in the state in 2026 due to its welfare measures for people.</p>

<p>The CM expressed his gratitude to state party chief Bhabesh Kalita for forming a committee to go through the poll promises that have not been fulfilled yet, so that those can be accomplished within the next one year.</p>

<p>He said the BJP will contest the Bodoland Territorial Council, panchayat and zilla parishad elections on its own, and urged the party workers to work closely with its allies AGP and UPPL for the bypolls to five assembly seats.</p>

<p>Sarma also emphasised that the delimitation of panchayats should be carried out in such a manner that the “rights of the indigenous people are safeguarded”.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.</em></p>


Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said his government will soon introduce a law for life imprisonment in cases of ‘land jihad’ and ‘love jihad’.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said his government will soon introduce a law for life imprisonment in cases of ‘land jihad’ and ‘love jihad’. He also said several measures have been initiated to “protect” land rights and government jobs for indigenous people. Speaking at the state BJP’s extended executive meet here, Sarma said, “We spoke about ‘love jihad’ during the elections. Soon, we will bring a law, which will award life imprisonment in such cases.” The term ‘love jihad’ is used by right-wing groups to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage. Sarma said a new domicile policy will also be introduced soon, under which only those born in Assam will be eligible for state government jobs. Asserting that his government has been working to protect the rights of indigenous people, the CM said they have been accorded priority in the “one lakh government jobs” provided as per a pre-poll promise, which will be evident when the complete list is published. In contrast, people of a “particular community” had got up to 30 per cent of constable jobs in the state police force under the Congress government, when the incumbent Dhubri MP was in charge of the Home Department, Sarma claimed, without elaborating further. Congress’ Rakibul Hussain had won the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat in this year’s elections. Sarma said that while “encroached land equal to the size of Chandigarh” has been freed from illegal settlers by his government, land equal to “20 times of the northern Union Territory” is still under the grasp of encroachers in the state. Among other initiatives to protect land rights are a resolution to bring in a law to forbid sale of land to people of a “particular community” in undivided Goalpara district. “The undivided Goalpara holds much importance for our Koch-Rajbongshi community. But, people of a particular community took away our land and made us minority in our own place,” he alleged. Under the proposed new law, land owned by tribals and people belonging to Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Castes will not be allowed to be transferred in undivided Goalpara, he said. Similarly, a law will be enacted to allow transfer of land in Barpeta, Majuli and Batadrawa, important centres for followers of Vaishnavism, among residents of these areas only, Sarma said. “If the public wants more areas to be protected in a similar manner, we will do it. We know that we cannot chase away anyone to Bangladesh, but with the last ounce of power in us, we will work to secure the future of Assam,” he asserted. The CM said the Assam government has also taken a decision regarding the sale of land between Hindus and Muslims. He said though the government cannot prevent such a transaction, it has made it mandatory to take consent of the chief minister before going ahead. The state government had issued a similar notification on March 7, stopping sale of land between two different communities for three months to avoid any possible “conflict on communal lines” ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Sarma said another legislation will be enacted for creation of “micro tribal belts and blocks” to protect villages or small, scattered settlements of tribals outside the notified belts and blocks. Referring to the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the chief minister claimed that the agitation was one of “deceit as not more than eight people have applied under it” in the state thus far. Sarma said his government will be taking a “bold step” to clear the biometrics of nine lakh people, collected and “frozen” during updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He maintained that the BJP has been able to secure a third straight term at the Centre on the basis of its work for the masses, as he took a dig at the Congress for trying to downplay the saffron party’s winning streak. “Congress has been trying to project as if their 99 seats are bigger than our 240 seats. Perhaps, it is so as per mathematics followed in Bangladesh or Pakistan, but it is not so in India,” he said. Sarma also asserted that the BJP will return to power in the state in 2026 due to its welfare measures for people. The CM expressed his gratitude to state party chief Bhabesh Kalita for forming a committee to go through the poll promises that have not been fulfilled yet, so that those can be accomplished within the next one year. He said the BJP will contest the Bodoland Territorial Council, panchayat and zilla parishad elections on its own, and urged the party workers to work closely with its allies AGP and UPPL for the bypolls to five assembly seats. Sarma also emphasised that the delimitation of panchayats should be carried out in such a manner that the “rights of the indigenous people are safeguarded”. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Assam CM announces new law to combat ‘land jihad, besides one for love jihad

<p>The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on July 30 passed the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, making the law stricter in cases of fraudulent or forced conversion.</p>

<p>Earlier the maximum punishment provided for those found guilty of marrying a woman by deceiving her and converting her religion was 10 years with a fine of ₹50,000.</p>

<p>Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna introduced the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the House on July 29. It has been proposed that if a person threatens, attacks, marries or promises to marry or conspires for it, or traffics a woman, minor or anyone with the intention of conversion, then his crime will be placed in the most serious category. In such cases, there is a provision of 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/wayanad-landslides-rahul-gandhis-urgent-plea-for-government-aid-as-death-toll-rises-to-84-in-indias-kerala-745572">Wayanad landslides: Rahul Gandhi's urgent plea for government aid as death toll rises to 84 in India's Kerala</a></strong></p>

<p>Under the amended provisions, any person can register an FIR in conversion cases. Earlier, to give information or a complaint, the presence of the victim, her parents, or siblings was necessary. It has been proposed that such cases will not be heard by any court below the Sessions Court and along with this, the bail plea will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor. Also, all the crimes under the amended Act have been made non-bailable.</p>

<p>Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken this initiative with the intention of curbing 'love jihad'.</p>

<p>An ordinance was issued for curbing forced conversion in November 2020 and later, after the bill was passed by both the houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act-2021 came into force.</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.</em></p>


The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on July 30 passed the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, making the law stricter in cases of fraudulent or forced conversion.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on July 30 passed the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, making the law stricter in cases of fraudulent or forced conversion. Earlier the maximum punishment provided for those found guilty of marrying a woman by deceiving her and converting her religion was 10 years with a fine of ₹50,000. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna introduced the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the House on July 29. It has been proposed that if a person threatens, attacks, marries or promises to marry or conspires for it, or traffics a woman, minor or anyone with the intention of conversion, then his crime will be placed in the most serious category. In such cases, there is a provision of 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment. Also read: Wayanad landslides: Rahul Gandhi's urgent plea for government aid as death toll rises to 84 in India's Kerala Under the amended provisions, any person can register an FIR in conversion cases. Earlier, to give information or a complaint, the presence of the victim, her parents, or siblings was necessary. It has been proposed that such cases will not be heard by any court below the Sessions Court and along with this, the bail plea will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor. Also, all the crimes under the amended Act have been made non-bailable. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken this initiative with the intention of curbing 'love jihad'. An ordinance was issued for curbing forced conversion in November 2020 and later, after the bill was passed by both the houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act-2021 came into force. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

UP govt passes bill to curb religious conversions, brings stringent penalties for ‘love jihad’

<p>Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming movie, ‘Toofaan’, may have garnered a lot of positive buzz ever since its trailer released, but as the date of release approaches, the film seems to be getting into one controversy after another.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
Just recently, there was a strong demand for boycotting the film because of leading man Farhan Akhtar’s comments in the past pertaining to the Citizenship Amendment Act. And now, a section of people on the internet, especially Twitter, are asking for it to be boycotted because the film allegedly promotes ‘Love Jihad’.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
It all started when the names of the central characters were revealed to the public. ‘Toofaan’ sees Akhtar taking on the role of Aziz Ali who falls in love with a character named Pooja Shah (played by Mrunal Thakur). The film also stars veteran actor Paresh Rawal as Ali's coach.</p>

<p><br />
Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ‘Toofaan’ releases on Amazon Prime Video on July 16.&nbsp;<br />
You can read some of the tweets here:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today in Hindu-majority country of India, insult and mockery of Hindu Dharma, Hindu deities n Hindu customs is going on unabated through mediums like Web series, movies, social media and so on.<br />
<br />
Unity of Hindus is the only way to stop These issues, so support 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottToofaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottToofaan</a> <a href="https://t.co/J5dfxarcSt">pic.twitter.com/J5dfxarcSt</a></p>
— Suman H P (@Suman_H_P) <a href="https://twitter.com/Suman_H_P/status/1413720287753867269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&nbsp;</blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Toofaan Movie Is against Our Culture .<br />
<br />
It's Time To <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottToofaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottToofaan</a></p>
— Sadhvi Prachi (@Sadhvi_prachi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sadhvi_prachi/status/1413696136569790465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They can't reels hinduphonic context so shamelessly and run away each and every time !!<br />
<br />
Boycott it with all your deeds !!<br />
<br />
It's our turn now !<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottToofaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottToofaan</a> <a href="https://t.co/tf2XCeyJ3i">https://t.co/tf2XCeyJ3i</a></p>
— Ujjawal Thakur (@uraj7777) <a href="https://twitter.com/uraj7777/status/1413690667352559629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BOYCOTT EVERY MOVIE WHICH IS AGAINST OUR CULTURE AND DHARMA <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottToofaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottToofaan</a></p>
— Manish Singh (@MSinghBJP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSinghBJP/status/1413696620579876867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Boycott love jihad<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottToofaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottToofaan</a></p>
— Panchratan (@amirakfkhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/amirakfkhan/status/1413687015174905862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Someone sent me this.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottToofaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottToofaan</a> <a href="https://t.co/tVBoR3faX4">pic.twitter.com/tVBoR3faX4</a></p>
— Arnab Goswami (@AkkiUnofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/AkkiUnofficial/status/1413686946572881921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming movie, ‘Toofaan’, may have garnered a lot of positive buzz ever since its trailer released, but as the date of release approaches, the film seems to be getting into one controversy after another.

Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming movie, ‘Toofaan’, may have garnered a lot of positive buzz ever since its trailer released, but as the date of release approaches, the film seems to be getting into one controversy after another. Just recently, there was a strong demand for boycotting the film because of leading man Farhan Akhtar’s comments in the past pertaining to the Citizenship Amendment Act. And now, a section of people on the internet, especially Twitter, are asking for it to be boycotted because the film allegedly promotes ‘Love Jihad’. It all started when the names of the central characters were revealed to the public. ‘Toofaan’ sees Akhtar taking on the role of Aziz Ali who falls in love with a character named Pooja Shah (played by Mrunal Thakur). The film also stars veteran actor Paresh Rawal as Ali's coach. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ‘Toofaan’ releases on Amazon Prime Video on July 16. You can read some of the tweets here: Today in Hindu-majority country of India, insult and mockery of Hindu Dharma, Hindu deities n Hindu customs is going on unabated through mediums like Web series, movies, social media and so on. Unity of Hindus is the only way to stop These issues, so support 👇#BoycottToofaan pic.twitter.com/J5dfxarcSt — Suman H P (@Suman_H_P) July 10, 2021 × × Toofaan Movie Is against Our Culture . It's Time To #BoycottToofaan — Sadhvi Prachi (@Sadhvi_prachi) July 10, 2021 × They can't reels hinduphonic context so shamelessly and run away each and every time !! Boycott it with all your deeds !! It's our turn now !#BoycottToofaan https://t.co/tf2XCeyJ3i — Ujjawal Thakur (@uraj7777) July 10, 2021 × BOYCOTT EVERY MOVIE WHICH IS AGAINST OUR CULTURE AND DHARMA #BoycottToofaan — Manish Singh (@MSinghBJP) July 10, 2021 × Boycott love jihad#BoycottToofaan — Panchratan (@amirakfkhan) July 10, 2021 × Someone sent me this.#BoycottToofaan pic.twitter.com/tVBoR3faX4 — Arnab Goswami (@AkkiUnofficial) July 10, 2021 ×

Demands made for boycott of Farhan Akhtar-starrer ‘Toofaan’, alleging it promotes ‘love jihad’

<p>A case of alleged conversion and inter-religious marriage is snowballing into a big controversy in the Kashmir valley. Three girls from the Sikh community had gone missing after they eloped with Muslim men. One of the girls has been traced by Jammu and Kashmir police and handed over to the family.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Sikh community took out many protests In Srinagar demanding the other two girls to be traced and handed over to the families. They also demanded for a change in conversion laws. The issue is also in the notice of Lieutenant&nbsp;Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the home ministry. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>The family of a Sikh girl in Srinagar's Rainawari area of downtown filed a report with the police saying their&nbsp;daughter was abducted. The police later arrested both the daughter and her husband. When produced in the court, the judge decided that the girl is an adult and has the right to go wherever she wishes to. Although the man was taken into custody while the girl was taken by her parents.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Soon after the judge's direction, the Sikh&nbsp;community took out protests in Srinagar alleging that the decision&nbsp;was biased. They also allege that the parents of the girl were not allowed inside the courtroom while the man's family was. Police say ''the matter is being investigated''.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>The father of the girl said that we are under a lot of stress and there is no one to listen to our problems. He says the government should provide us security so that we feel safe.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>''This girl is a minor, she just turned 18 two months ago, last year she had brain surgery after she developed a clot. We had repair work going on, and he was working as a labourer here renovating my house. He knocked on my door, he pushed and kicked me and took my girl away. He said if you shout I will kill you with my pistol. There was a car waiting outside and He took my girl away. We went to the police in the early morning. And later police said we have traced the girl from the jungle and took her to the women police station. They didn't allow us to meet until they took us to court. And they didn't even allow us to enter the courtroom. They gave us the girl at 11;30 pm. We don't&nbsp;feel safe and no one listens to us.'' said Rajinder Singh Bali, father of the girl.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Akali Dal Leader and Delhi Gurdwara committee&nbsp;president, MS Sirsa flew down to Srinagar&nbsp;to take stock of the situation.</p>

<p>He, while speaking to the media said. ''four girls have been forcefully&nbsp;converted, an 18-year-old girl was married to a middle aged man and we were told that she married of her own choice. The district judiciary also did not&nbsp;give any justice, he didn't even allow the parents of the girls to come inside the courtroom. The middle-aged man's whole relatives were inside the courtroom so that the girl was under pressure to give her statement against the parents. Leaders of our community world wide have condemned this act. We have written to the governor also, not only asking the government to handover these girls back to their families but also bring in changes&nbsp;in the law. We are sad that the majority community is not standing with us right now. ''<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>While the Sikh community leaders and members said that if the government doesn't&nbsp;take action in&nbsp;these cases, the youth of the community will tackle the situation themselves.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>''Two girls were taken to court after their statement, they were converted. One is an 18-year-old girl who was taken by a 45-year-old man, who had twice married before. We want this to stop. We have a very small population, around 60 thousand. The brotherhood between the majority committee has always been there and we want them to intervene and return our daughters. We want conversion laws to be made here too. The girl's family wasn't allowed to come inside the court. We appeal to the leaders here also to come forward to stop these things. If the government doesn't&nbsp;do anything our youth are ready to tackle the situation. Baldev Singh, President Sikh Committee, Srinagar.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>The members of the majority community also came forward and were seen protesting and asking the government to handover the girls to their parents as soon as possible.</p>

<p>&nbsp;''We are protesting here even if I am alone with my daughter here. We will protest even if there are not many people. We want Sikh girl back at any cost. Sikh brothers have stayed with us through thick and thin and we will too. I am a common citizen and I couldn't see my Sikh brothers and sisters protesting alone. We all should protest for this. These Sikhs are the same who came to our rescue during floods,'' said a local citizen.&nbsp;</p>


A case of alleged conversion and inter-religious marriage is snowballing into a big controversy in the Kashmir valley. Three girls from the Sikh community had gone missing after they eloped with Muslim men.

A case of alleged conversion and inter-religious marriage is snowballing into a big controversy in the Kashmir valley. Three girls from the Sikh community had gone missing after they eloped with Muslim men. One of the girls has been traced by Jammu and Kashmir police and handed over to the family. The Sikh community took out many protests In Srinagar demanding the other two girls to be traced and handed over to the families. They also demanded for a change in conversion laws. The issue is also in the notice of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the home ministry. The family of a Sikh girl in Srinagar's Rainawari area of downtown filed a report with the police saying their daughter was abducted. The police later arrested both the daughter and her husband. When produced in the court, the judge decided that the girl is an adult and has the right to go wherever she wishes to. Although the man was taken into custody while the girl was taken by her parents. Soon after the judge's direction, the Sikh community took out protests in Srinagar alleging that the decision was biased. They also allege that the parents of the girl were not allowed inside the courtroom while the man's family was. Police say ''the matter is being investigated''. The father of the girl said that we are under a lot of stress and there is no one to listen to our problems. He says the government should provide us security so that we feel safe. ''This girl is a minor, she just turned 18 two months ago, last year she had brain surgery after she developed a clot. We had repair work going on, and he was working as a labourer here renovating my house. He knocked on my door, he pushed and kicked me and took my girl away. He said if you shout I will kill you with my pistol. There was a car waiting outside and He took my girl away. We went to the police in the early morning. And later police said we have traced the girl from the jungle and took her to the women police station. They didn't allow us to meet until they took us to court. And they didn't even allow us to enter the courtroom. They gave us the girl at 11;30 pm. We don't feel safe and no one listens to us.'' said Rajinder Singh Bali, father of the girl. Akali Dal Leader and Delhi Gurdwara committee president, MS Sirsa flew down to Srinagar to take stock of the situation. He, while speaking to the media said. ''four girls have been forcefully converted, an 18-year-old girl was married to a middle aged man and we were told that she married of her own choice. The district judiciary also did not give any justice, he didn't even allow the parents of the girls to come inside the courtroom. The middle-aged man's whole relatives were inside the courtroom so that the girl was under pressure to give her statement against the parents. Leaders of our community world wide have condemned this act. We have written to the governor also, not only asking the government to handover these girls back to their families but also bring in changes in the law. We are sad that the majority community is not standing with us right now. '' While the Sikh community leaders and members said that if the government doesn't take action in these cases, the youth of the community will tackle the situation themselves. ''Two girls were taken to court after their statement, they were converted. One is an 18-year-old girl who was taken by a 45-year-old man, who had twice married before. We want this to stop. We have a very small population, around 60 thousand. The brotherhood between the majority committee has always been there and we want them to intervene and return our daughters. We want conversion laws to be made here too. The girl's family wasn't allowed to come inside the court. We appeal to the leaders here also to come forward to stop these things. If the government doesn't do anything our youth are ready to tackle the situation. Baldev Singh, President Sikh Committee, Srinagar. The members of the majority community also came forward and were seen protesting and asking the government to handover the girls to their parents as soon as possible. ''We are protesting here even if I am alone with my daughter here. We will protest even if there are not many people. We want Sikh girl back at any cost. Sikh brothers have stayed with us through thick and thin and we will too. I am a common citizen and I couldn't see my Sikh brothers and sisters protesting alone. We all should protest for this. These Sikhs are the same who came to our rescue during floods,'' said a local citizen.

Alleged conversion snowballing into a controversy in Kashmir valley

<p>Another day in India, another new issue to outrage upon. After Tanishq Jewellery brand was accused of promoting 'Love Jihad', now a certain section on social media are targetting Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's new film 'Laxmmi Bomb'.</p>

<p>On Friday #ShameOnUAkshayKumar started trending on Twitter. Reason? Several fans allege that his film 'Laxxmi Bomb' also promotes love jihad. The trailer shows Akshay Kumar's character Arif married to a presumably Hindu girl Priya played by Kiara Advani.</p>

<p>Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao took to Twitter and posted, “Canada Kumar’s film is promoting Love Jihad. Film is Produced By Separatist Shabeena Khan. Content is Hinduphobic (sic),” he posted.</p>

<p>Fans have been demanding a ban on the film's digital release. 'Laxmmi Bomb' is slated to release around Diwali on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Remove the word "Bomb" after "Laxmi". It's a very pious name and of Goddess, don't play with one's religious sentiments. We will Boycott your movies Mr Anari Kumar aka Canadian citizen. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottLaxmmiBomb?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottLaxmmiBomb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShameOnUAkshayKumar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShameOnUAkshayKumar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Justice4SSR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Justice4SSR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iujjawaltrivedi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iujjawaltrivedi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ishkarnBHANDARI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ishkarnBHANDARI</a> <a href="https://t.co/n2YPj2b6gR">pic.twitter.com/n2YPj2b6gR</a></p>
— Kumar Mayank (@KumarMayank02) <a href="https://twitter.com/KumarMayank02/status/1317116403678212097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Several others have objected to the wrong usage of the word Laxmi, a Hindu goddess.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The name <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaxmiBomb?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaxmiBomb</a> is an insult to the Hindu deity..which none of you are speaking about. Yahi agar naam Paigambar Rangeela hota toh? Just saying!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottLaxmmiBomb?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottLaxmmiBomb</a></p>
— StyleRug (@StyleRug) <a href="https://twitter.com/StyleRug/status/1316798046798180352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bollywood intentionally insult our goodness laxmi ma ..&amp; this loop is continue..<br />
have a dare to replace it with common Muslim women..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottLaxmmiBomb?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottLaxmmiBomb</a> <a href="https://t.co/i7GtCLcjUx">pic.twitter.com/i7GtCLcjUx</a></p>
— Mukesh Amrito (@imkamrito) <a href="https://twitter.com/imkamrito/status/1317061713858940929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>A few days earlier, jewellery brand Tanishq had to pull down its advertisement as several objected to it and alleged that the ad featuring a Hindu woman and her Muslim mother-in-law was promoting love jihad.</p>


Another day in India, another new issue to outrage upon. After Tanishq Jewellery brand was accused of promoting 'Love Jihad', now a certain section on social media are targetting Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's new film 'Laxmmi Bomb'.

Another day in India, another new issue to outrage upon. After Tanishq Jewellery brand was accused of promoting 'Love Jihad', now a certain section on social media are targetting Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's new film 'Laxmmi Bomb'. On Friday #ShameOnUAkshayKumar started trending on Twitter. Reason? Several fans allege that his film 'Laxxmi Bomb' also promotes love jihad. The trailer shows Akshay Kumar's character Arif married to a presumably Hindu girl Priya played by Kiara Advani. Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao took to Twitter and posted, “Canada Kumar’s film is promoting Love Jihad. Film is Produced By Separatist Shabeena Khan. Content is Hinduphobic (sic),” he posted. Fans have been demanding a ban on the film's digital release. 'Laxmmi Bomb' is slated to release around Diwali on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar. Remove the word "Bomb" after "Laxmi". It's a very pious name and of Goddess, don't play with one's religious sentiments. We will Boycott your movies Mr Anari Kumar aka Canadian citizen. #BoycottLaxmmiBomb #ShameOnUAkshayKumar #Justice4SSR @iujjawaltrivedi @ishkarnBHANDARI pic.twitter.com/n2YPj2b6gR — Kumar Mayank (@KumarMayank02) October 16, 2020 × Several others have objected to the wrong usage of the word Laxmi, a Hindu goddess. The name #LaxmiBomb is an insult to the Hindu deity..which none of you are speaking about. Yahi agar naam Paigambar Rangeela hota toh? Just saying!#BoycottLaxmmiBomb — StyleRug (@StyleRug) October 15, 2020 × Bollywood intentionally insult our goodness laxmi ma ..& this loop is continue.. have a dare to replace it with common Muslim women..#BoycottLaxmmiBomb pic.twitter.com/i7GtCLcjUx — Mukesh Amrito (@imkamrito) October 16, 2020 × A few days earlier, jewellery brand Tanishq had to pull down its advertisement as several objected to it and alleged that the ad featuring a Hindu woman and her Muslim mother-in-law was promoting love jihad.

#ShameOnYouAkshayKumar trends as Twitter raises objection to 'Laxmmi Bomb'

<p>Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has pulled down its latest advertisment from social media after the company faced flak from a certain section online. The brand was acussed of promoting 'Love Jihad' through the commercial.<br />
<br />
#BoycottTanishq trended on Twitter all throughout Monday after the advertisement of their new jewellery line released an ad titled "unity in oneness."<br />
<br />
The ad depicts a Hindu woman getting a traditional bridal shower from her Muslim mother-in-law. When the surprised daughter-in-law points out that Muslims do not have any such ritual, the mother-in-law replied that to make the daughter happy is a ceremony in every household.<br />
<br />
Tanishq, in the description for the video said, "She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don't. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures."<br />
<br />
The advertisement has been removed from Youtube as well as various social media platforms. Twitter seemed divided at the move with many condemning the outrage itself.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! <a href="https://t.co/QuS1XBTVIO">pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO</a></p>
— Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) <a href="https://twitter.com/YearOfTheKraken/status/1315662828108353536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>There were others who stated that they would not buy any product of the brand from now on and demanded a complete boycott of the jewellery brand.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! <a href="https://t.co/QuS1XBTVIO">pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO</a></p>
— Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) <a href="https://twitter.com/YearOfTheKraken/status/1315662828108353536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Boycott Tanishq</p>
— JP Awasthy (@JpAwasthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JpAwasthy/status/1315718867503652864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is what “UNITED HINDUS” are capable of- <a href="https://twitter.com/TanishqJewelry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TanishqJewelry</a> deletes the video that showed a Hindu girl in a Muslim household: after immense outrage on social media! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottTanishq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottTanishq</a> <a href="https://t.co/EWEYsFwYHm">pic.twitter.com/EWEYsFwYHm</a></p>
— अणिमा सोनकर (@AnimaSonkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnimaSonkar/status/1315671362183200768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has pulled down its latest advertisment from social media after the company faced flak from a certain section online. The brand was acussed of promoting 'Love Jihad' through the commercial.

Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has pulled down its latest advertisment from social media after the company faced flak from a certain section online. The brand was acussed of promoting 'Love Jihad' through the commercial. #BoycottTanishq trended on Twitter all throughout Monday after the advertisement of their new jewellery line released an ad titled "unity in oneness." The ad depicts a Hindu woman getting a traditional bridal shower from her Muslim mother-in-law. When the surprised daughter-in-law points out that Muslims do not have any such ritual, the mother-in-law replied that to make the daughter happy is a ceremony in every household. Tanishq, in the description for the video said, "She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don't. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures." The advertisement has been removed from Youtube as well as various social media platforms. Twitter seemed divided at the move with many condemning the outrage itself. The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO — Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) October 12, 2020 × There were others who stated that they would not buy any product of the brand from now on and demanded a complete boycott of the jewellery brand. The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO — Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) October 12, 2020 × Boycott Tanishq — JP Awasthy (@JpAwasthy) October 12, 2020 × This is what “UNITED HINDUS” are capable of- @TanishqJewelry deletes the video that showed a Hindu girl in a Muslim household: after immense outrage on social media! #BoycottTanishq pic.twitter.com/EWEYsFwYHm — अणिमा सोनकर (@AnimaSonkar) October 12, 2020 ×

Tanishq pulls down new advertisement after being accused of promoting 'Love Jihad'

<p>Days after a senior BJP leader from Uttrakahand raised an objection to Abhishek Kapoor's next film 'Kedarnath' and accused the makers of promoting 'love jihad', the Congress party too has now stated that the film violates the beliefs of the people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Inviting Bollywood stars to shoot here is a great way of tourism, but also the government should put all the norms in front of them and tell them about the do`s and don`t`s. No one has the right to violate our beliefs. Chardham, especially Kedarnath, is the most important and people believe in it," Garima Dasauni, an AICC member, told a news agency.</p>

<p>While objecting a kissing scene between the lead pair in the movie, she said that a warning should be issued to the makers that they could not play with our beliefs."We will send a letter to the Prime Minister and the board to find a solution to the problem," she added.</p>

<p>Earlier, a senior BJP leader on Saturday demanded a ban on the movie, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kedarnath-bjp-leader-demands-ban-on-film-accuses-makers-of-promoting-love-jihad-176760">alleging that it hurts the sentiments of Hindus and promotes love jihad</a>.Ajendra Ajay, who is part of the state BJP`s media relations team, wrote to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Prasoon Joshi that despite being set against the backdrop of one of the worst human tragedies, the film directed by Abhishek Kapoor makes fun of Hindu sentiments.</p>

<p>'Kedarnath', which marks the Bollywood debut of Sara, is set against the backdrop of a catastrophic deluge that hit the Himalayan shrine in 2013.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, in Mumbai, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kedarnath-trailer-sushant-singh-rajput-sara-ali-khans-love-story-is-high-on-emotions-and-visuals-176828">the cast and crew came together at an event to launch the film's trailer.</a> Speaking at the event, the film's director said, "When people will watch the movie they will know that there is nothing controversial in it. We have made it with a lot of love and it is about love."`</p>

<p>In the film, Sushant plays the role of a Muslim `Pithu` named Mansoor, who carries luggage, old and ill people on his back, while Sara plays the role of a Hindu tourist pilgrimage, Mukku.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Showcasing the power of love, the duo can be seen withstanding the wrath of nature as flash floods wreck havoc in Kedarnath.</p>

<p>The flick, which is slated to release on December 7, also stars Nitish Bharadwaj, Alka Amin, Sonali Sachdev, Pooja Gor, and Nishant Dahiya.</p>


Days after a senior BJP leader from Uttrakahand raised an objection to Abhishek Kapoor's next film 'Kedarnath' and accused the makers of promoting 'love jihad', the Congress party too has now stated that the film violates the beliefs of the people.

Days after a senior BJP leader from Uttrakahand raised an objection to Abhishek Kapoor's next film 'Kedarnath' and accused the makers of promoting 'love jihad', the Congress party too has now stated that the film violates the beliefs of the people. "Inviting Bollywood stars to shoot here is a great way of tourism, but also the government should put all the norms in front of them and tell them about the do`s and don`t`s. No one has the right to violate our beliefs. Chardham, especially Kedarnath, is the most important and people believe in it," Garima Dasauni, an AICC member, told a news agency. While objecting a kissing scene between the lead pair in the movie, she said that a warning should be issued to the makers that they could not play with our beliefs."We will send a letter to the Prime Minister and the board to find a solution to the problem," she added. Earlier, a senior BJP leader on Saturday demanded a ban on the movie, alleging that it hurts the sentiments of Hindus and promotes love jihad.Ajendra Ajay, who is part of the state BJP`s media relations team, wrote to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Prasoon Joshi that despite being set against the backdrop of one of the worst human tragedies, the film directed by Abhishek Kapoor makes fun of Hindu sentiments. 'Kedarnath', which marks the Bollywood debut of Sara, is set against the backdrop of a catastrophic deluge that hit the Himalayan shrine in 2013. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the cast and crew came together at an event to launch the film's trailer. Speaking at the event, the film's director said, "When people will watch the movie they will know that there is nothing controversial in it. We have made it with a lot of love and it is about love."` In the film, Sushant plays the role of a Muslim `Pithu` named Mansoor, who carries luggage, old and ill people on his back, while Sara plays the role of a Hindu tourist pilgrimage, Mukku. Showcasing the power of love, the duo can be seen withstanding the wrath of nature as flash floods wreck havoc in Kedarnath. The flick, which is slated to release on December 7, also stars Nitish Bharadwaj, Alka Amin, Sonali Sachdev, Pooja Gor, and Nishant Dahiya.

Kedarnath: After BJP, Congress now objects to Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan's film

<p>There seems to be no end to problems for Abhishek Kapoor's much talked about film 'Kedarnath'. At first, the director who is also the co-producer of the film got embroiled in a legal battle with co-producer KriArj Entertainment who left the film while it was still being shot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While RSVP films came on board just in time and the film eventually got completed, now the locals of the pilgrim town are raising an objection to the film and alleging that it is factually wrong.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While priests of Kedarnath temple and locals living nearby raised objection soon after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kedarnath-teaser-nature-is-the-biggest-roadblock-in-sushant-singh-rajput-sara-ali-khan-love-story-174350">the film's teaser came out</a>, on Saturday a senior BJP leader demanded a ban on the film alleging that it hurts the sentiments of Hindus and promotes 'love jihad'.</p>

<p>Ajendra Ajay, who is part of BJP's media relations team in Uttarakhand, wrote to Central Board of Film Certification Chairman Prasoon Joshi that despite being set against the backdrop of one of the worst human tragedies, the film directed by Abhishek Kapoor makes fun of Hindu sentiments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Taking exception to a kissing scene between lead pair Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan featured in the film's teaser and a tagline in its poster reading 'Love is a Pilgrimage', the BJP leader alleged that it was an attack on the Hindu religion as Kedarnath represents the faith of crores of Hindus. "By setting a romantic love story against the backdrop of a huge tragedy that occurred at Kedarnath, a centre of faith for crores of Hindus, the filmmakers have shown great disrespect to the followers of the religion," Ajay told a news agency.</p>

<p>Objecting to the film depicting the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu pilgrim, Ajay said "couldn't the makers of the film find a Hindu character for the lead? " &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Accusing the film of promoting love jihad, the BJP leader said acute resentment prevailed among <em>teertha</em><em> </em>purohits for projecting Kedarnath in such a flippant manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Warning of large-scale protests in the state if the film was released, Ajay urged the CBFC chairman to impose a ban on the movie produced by Ronnie Screwwala and Pragya Kapoor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>'Kedarnath' marks Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's daughter Sara's debut in Bollywood. The film is a love story set in the backdrop of the devastating flash floods that took place in Uttarakhand in 2013.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is scheduled to release in theatres on 7th December.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(With PTI inputs)</p>


There seems to be no end to problems for Abhishek Kapoor's much talked about film 'Kedarnath'. At first, the director who is also the co-producer of the film got embroiled in a legal battle with co-producer KriArj Entertainment who left the film while it was still being shot.

There seems to be no end to problems for Abhishek Kapoor's much talked about film 'Kedarnath'. At first, the director who is also the co-producer of the film got embroiled in a legal battle with co-producer KriArj Entertainment who left the film while it was still being shot. While RSVP films came on board just in time and the film eventually got completed, now the locals of the pilgrim town are raising an objection to the film and alleging that it is factually wrong. While priests of Kedarnath temple and locals living nearby raised objection soon after the film's teaser came out, on Saturday a senior BJP leader demanded a ban on the film alleging that it hurts the sentiments of Hindus and promotes 'love jihad'. Ajendra Ajay, who is part of BJP's media relations team in Uttarakhand, wrote to Central Board of Film Certification Chairman Prasoon Joshi that despite being set against the backdrop of one of the worst human tragedies, the film directed by Abhishek Kapoor makes fun of Hindu sentiments. Taking exception to a kissing scene between lead pair Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan featured in the film's teaser and a tagline in its poster reading 'Love is a Pilgrimage', the BJP leader alleged that it was an attack on the Hindu religion as Kedarnath represents the faith of crores of Hindus. "By setting a romantic love story against the backdrop of a huge tragedy that occurred at Kedarnath, a centre of faith for crores of Hindus, the filmmakers have shown great disrespect to the followers of the religion," Ajay told a news agency. Objecting to the film depicting the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu pilgrim, Ajay said "couldn't the makers of the film find a Hindu character for the lead? " Accusing the film of promoting love jihad, the BJP leader said acute resentment prevailed among teertha purohits for projecting Kedarnath in such a flippant manner. Warning of large-scale protests in the state if the film was released, Ajay urged the CBFC chairman to impose a ban on the movie produced by Ronnie Screwwala and Pragya Kapoor. 'Kedarnath' marks Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's daughter Sara's debut in Bollywood. The film is a love story set in the backdrop of the devastating flash floods that took place in Uttarakhand in 2013. It is scheduled to release in theatres on 7th December. (With PTI inputs)

Kedarnath: BJP leader demands ban on film, accuses makers of promoting 'love jihad'

<p>The trailer of the highly anticipated film, 'Kedarnath' is finally out. And by the looks of it, the film looks like an emotional love story with a backdrop of the devastating Uttarakhand floods of 2013.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The film has Rajput playing a Muslim porter in the pilgrim town of Kedarnath and Sara Ali Khan playing a Hindu girl. While the society opposes their relationship, it is ultimately nature that plays the biggest hurdle in their love story. Shot in actual locales, the film looks visually stunning.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/03-KVRmd3xo" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
The teaser itself has raised a lot of eyebrows across with locals in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kedarnath-bjp-leader-demands-ban-on-film-accuses-makers-of-promoting-love-jihad-176760"> Uttarakhand objecting to a Hindu-Muslim love story.&nbsp;</a><br />
<br />
Directed by Abhishek Kapoor and produced by RSVP Films, 'Kedarnath' will be releasing in theatres on 7th December.&nbsp;</p>


The trailer of the highly anticipated film, 'Kedarnath' is finally out. And by the looks of it, the film looks like an emotional love story with a backdrop of the devastating Uttarakhand floods of 2013.

The trailer of the highly anticipated film, 'Kedarnath' is finally out. And by the looks of it, the film looks like an emotional love story with a backdrop of the devastating Uttarakhand floods of 2013. The film has Rajput playing a Muslim porter in the pilgrim town of Kedarnath and Sara Ali Khan playing a Hindu girl. While the society opposes their relationship, it is ultimately nature that plays the biggest hurdle in their love story. Shot in actual locales, the film looks visually stunning. The teaser itself has raised a lot of eyebrows across with locals in Uttarakhand objecting to a Hindu-Muslim love story. Directed by Abhishek Kapoor and produced by RSVP Films, 'Kedarnath' will be releasing in theatres on 7th December.

'Kedarnath' trailer: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan's love story is high on emotions and visuals

<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday asked if a roving inquiry could be ordered into the &quot;issue of consent&quot; between two adults who married at will and if the Kerala High Court order annulling the marriage of Hadiya, an alleged victim of &#39;love jihad&#39;, was justified.</p>

<p>The questions from a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud came during the hearing of the Kerala conversion case.</p>

<p>&quot;What troubles us is that whether there can be a roving inquiry into the issue of consent between two adults who have agreed to marry,&quot; the bench said.</p>

<p>Whether the high court was justified in nullifying the marriage is a pure question of law, it added.</p>

<p>&quot;Marriage and investigation are two different things. As far as marriage is concerned, it does not warrant any investigation. Investigation has nothing to do with it. You can investigate any other thing,&quot; the court said.</p>

<p>Hadiya, the 25-year-old woman who is at the centre of an alleged love jihad controversy, had on Tuesday filed an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-am-a-muslim-want-to-remain-muslim-says-hadiya-in-affidavit-to-supreme-court-33507" target="_blank">affidavit before the top court</a> claiming that she willingly converted to Islam and wants to live with her husband Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>The matter had come to fore when Jahan had challenged the Kerala High Court&#39;s order annulling his marriage with Hadiya and sending her to her parents&#39; custody. On November 27 last year, the apex court had freed Hadiya from her parents&#39; custody and sent her to college to pursue her studies, even as she had pleaded that she should be allowed to go with her husband.</p>

<p>Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Hadiya&#39;s father, said it was a case of vulnerable adults and the high court was justified in nullifying the marriage by exercising its power under Article 226 of the Constitution.</p>

<p>&quot;In this case, marriage was used as a pretext to keep it out of the court&#39;s jurisdiction,&quot; Divan said.</p>

<p>Hadiya had urged the court to set aside the judgement of the Kerala High Court that had annulled the marriage terming it an instance of &#39;love jihad&#39;.</p>

<p>The top court had earlier ordered an NIA probe into a &quot;pattern&quot; where some women were allegedly being converted to Islam.</p>

<p>Later, the court decided to hear the woman and interviewed her in an open court when she made an appeal for her freedom under the Constitution.</p>

<p>In her affidavit, the woman told the court that &quot;horrendous sufferings&quot; were meted out to her for converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim man.</p>

<p>The apex court had on January 23 made it clear that the National Investigation Agency cannot probe the marital status of Hadiya and Jahan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


'What troubles us is that whether there can be a roving inquiry into the issue of consent between two adults who have agreed to marry,'the bench said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked if a roving inquiry could be ordered into the "issue of consent" between two adults who married at will and if the Kerala High Court order annulling the marriage of Hadiya, an alleged victim of 'love jihad', was justified. The questions from a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud came during the hearing of the Kerala conversion case. "What troubles us is that whether there can be a roving inquiry into the issue of consent between two adults who have agreed to marry," the bench said. Whether the high court was justified in nullifying the marriage is a pure question of law, it added. "Marriage and investigation are two different things. As far as marriage is concerned, it does not warrant any investigation. Investigation has nothing to do with it. You can investigate any other thing," the court said. Hadiya, the 25-year-old woman who is at the centre of an alleged love jihad controversy, had on Tuesday filed an affidavit before the top court claiming that she willingly converted to Islam and wants to live with her husband Shafin Jahan. The matter had come to fore when Jahan had challenged the Kerala High Court's order annulling his marriage with Hadiya and sending her to her parents' custody. On November 27 last year, the apex court had freed Hadiya from her parents' custody and sent her to college to pursue her studies, even as she had pleaded that she should be allowed to go with her husband. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Hadiya's father, said it was a case of vulnerable adults and the high court was justified in nullifying the marriage by exercising its power under Article 226 of the Constitution. "In this case, marriage was used as a pretext to keep it out of the court's jurisdiction," Divan said. Hadiya had urged the court to set aside the judgement of the Kerala High Court that had annulled the marriage terming it an instance of 'love jihad'. The top court had earlier ordered an NIA probe into a "pattern" where some women were allegedly being converted to Islam. Later, the court decided to hear the woman and interviewed her in an open court when she made an appeal for her freedom under the Constitution. In her affidavit, the woman told the court that "horrendous sufferings" were meted out to her for converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim man. The apex court had on January 23 made it clear that the National Investigation Agency cannot probe the marital status of Hadiya and Jahan.

Supreme Court asks if Kerala High Court was justified in annulling Hadiya's marriage

<p>Hadiya, the 24-year-old&nbsp;woman in connection to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-all-love-marriages-are-love-jihads-observes-kerala-high-court-22629" target="_blank">Kerala &quot;Love Jihad&quot; </a>has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that she is a Muslim and wanted to remain as a Muslim.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She also said that she wanted to remain the wife of Shafi Jahan.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kerala &#39;Love Jihad&#39; case: Hadiya files an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that she is a Muslim and wanted to remain as a Muslim. She also stated that she wanted to remain the wife of Shafi Jahan</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965915713209856000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>It was alleged that Hadiya was recruited by the Islamic State&#39;s mission in Syria and Shafin Jahan was only a stooge.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-case-sc-orders-hadiyas-father-to-produce-her-before-it-23125">Hadiya has been in the news</a>&nbsp;after her&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hadiya-finally-gets-to-speak-to-her-husband-shes-relieved-from-depression-says-college-dean-25508">conversion to Islam</a>&nbsp;and marriage with Shafin Jahan in Kerala. The Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage and called it an instance of &#39;love jihad&#39;.</p>

<p>Her&nbsp;husband had approached the Supreme court while she stayed at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks. The apex court later freed her from her parents&#39; custody and allowed her to travel to Tamil Nadu for her studies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While hearing the case on January 23, the Supreme Court had said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cannot go into the marital status of Hadiya.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 22.&nbsp;</p>


She also said that she wanted to remain the wife of Shafi Jahan

Hadiya, the 24-year-old woman in connection to the Kerala "Love Jihad" has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that she is a Muslim and wanted to remain as a Muslim. She also said that she wanted to remain the wife of Shafi Jahan. Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: Hadiya files an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that she is a Muslim and wanted to remain as a Muslim. She also stated that she wanted to remain the wife of Shafi Jahan — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018 × Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan. It was alleged that Hadiya was recruited by the Islamic State's mission in Syria and Shafin Jahan was only a stooge. Hadiya has been in the news after her conversion to Islam and marriage with Shafin Jahan in Kerala. The Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage and called it an instance of 'love jihad'. Her husband had approached the Supreme court while she stayed at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks. The apex court later freed her from her parents' custody and allowed her to travel to Tamil Nadu for her studies. While hearing the case on January 23, the Supreme Court had said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cannot go into the marital status of Hadiya. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 22.

'I am a Muslim, want to remain Muslim' says Hadiya in affidavit to Supreme Court

<p>Two videos purportedly shot by Shambhu Lal Raigar, an accused in a murder case, from inside a jail here have gone viral, wherein he claims threat to his life from an inmate and justifies his killing of a labourer from West Bengal over &quot;love jihad&quot;.</p>

<p>Raigar, who is lodged in the Central Jail here after he hacked and burnt to death Mohammad Afrazul from West Bengal in December last year, named the inmate as Vasudev, an accused in the NDPS Act.</p>

<p>Vasudev hails from West Bengal, claimed Raigar.</p>

<p>In one of the videos, Raigar claims that the issue of &quot;love jihad&quot; has become &quot;serious&quot; and accuses the West Bengal government of not doing enough about it.</p>

<p>Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said they were investigating how Raigar got access to a mobile phone inside the jail.</p>

<p>&quot;It would be looked into how Raigar got access to a mobile phone and how he made the videos. The police have registered an FIR and are investigating the matter,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The minister said that action against those guilty in the matter would be taken after the investigation. Vasudev has been shifted to another cell for Raigar&#39;s safety, he said.</p>

<p>&quot;A separate FIR has been lodged and the search is on,&quot; Kataria told reporters in the Assembly.</p>

<p>Raigar had killed Afrazul while, in a video, ranting against &quot;love jihad&quot;, a term used by sections of Hindu activists to describe marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men.</p>

<p>In the latest video, Raigar said he was &quot;infuriated&quot; over a &quot;jihadist comment&quot;, targeting Hindu women, and that was why he had killed Afrazul.</p>

<p>The Jodhpur Central Jail administration said it had launched an &quot;intense search operation&quot; to find out how Raigar was able to make the videos using a cell phone.</p>

<p>According to a preliminary investigation, Raigar could have used the cell phone of another inmate, but the jail authorities have failed to recover a mobile from the said inmate.</p>

<p>Jail Superintendent Vikram Singh said they were investigating the matter and had also reviewed the security of Raigar.</p>

<p>Singh said the presence of mobile phones inside the jail was a &quot;serious matter&quot; and added that the prison authorities were trying to find out how the phones were making their way into the prison.</p>

<p>Raigar was arrested from Rajsamand district of Rajasthan.</p>

<p>His act of killing Afrazul and latter filming the act with the help of his teenage nephew had created a nationwide outrage.</p>


Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said they were investigating how Raigar got hold of a mobile phone inside jail

Two videos purportedly shot by Shambhu Lal Raigar, an accused in a murder case, from inside a jail here have gone viral, wherein he claims threat to his life from an inmate and justifies his killing of a labourer from West Bengal over "love jihad". Raigar, who is lodged in the Central Jail here after he hacked and burnt to death Mohammad Afrazul from West Bengal in December last year, named the inmate as Vasudev, an accused in the NDPS Act. Vasudev hails from West Bengal, claimed Raigar. In one of the videos, Raigar claims that the issue of "love jihad" has become "serious" and accuses the West Bengal government of not doing enough about it. Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said they were investigating how Raigar got access to a mobile phone inside the jail. "It would be looked into how Raigar got access to a mobile phone and how he made the videos. The police have registered an FIR and are investigating the matter," he said. The minister said that action against those guilty in the matter would be taken after the investigation. Vasudev has been shifted to another cell for Raigar's safety, he said. "A separate FIR has been lodged and the search is on," Kataria told reporters in the Assembly. Raigar had killed Afrazul while, in a video, ranting against "love jihad", a term used by sections of Hindu activists to describe marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men. In the latest video, Raigar said he was "infuriated" over a "jihadist comment", targeting Hindu women, and that was why he had killed Afrazul. The Jodhpur Central Jail administration said it had launched an "intense search operation" to find out how Raigar was able to make the videos using a cell phone. According to a preliminary investigation, Raigar could have used the cell phone of another inmate, but the jail authorities have failed to recover a mobile from the said inmate. Jail Superintendent Vikram Singh said they were investigating the matter and had also reviewed the security of Raigar. Singh said the presence of mobile phones inside the jail was a "serious matter" and added that the prison authorities were trying to find out how the phones were making their way into the prison. Raigar was arrested from Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. His act of killing Afrazul and latter filming the act with the help of his teenage nephew had created a nationwide outrage.

Shambhu Lal Raigar makes videos from jail, claims threat to life

<p>I was recently asked if I would be able to participate and provide encouragement in an event, celebrating interfaith and intercaste marriages - being undertaken by an NGO called DHANAK. Latter name means &ldquo;rainbow&rdquo; in Urdu/Hindi, and champions the cause of &ldquo;Right to Choice&rdquo; of the partner in matters of marriage and relationships, and raises its voice against &ldquo;Honour Killing&rdquo; crimes in India.</p>

<p>Over the years DHANAK has touched the lives of over 700 couples, providing them shelter from retributive parents and society, arranged marriages for eloping adults, and counseling both the couples and parents. The counselors explain that it is easy to love, but what is more important is, to understand that marriage is not a trifling matter, it is a lifelong commitment, along with a difficult path, given the social pressures by many communities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The call to me came from Shailaja Rao all the way from the USA &ndash; she, being a Hindu, is married to Mohammad Zubair, a Muslim. Why me, I wondered and then it dawned &ndash; it was consequent to an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-i-need-to-speak-out-in-support-of-hindu-muslim-marriage-this-is-why-28060">article on inter-faith marriage</a> that I wrote for WION some weeks back. The catalyst for that article was the ghastly incident in Ghaziabad where Hindutva goons led by a local politician had the audacity to interfere - fortunately with no luck - in the marriage of a prominent Hindu businessman&rsquo;s daughter to a Muslim boy.</p>

<p>This incident made me sit up and reflect because my own daughter had earlier married a Muslim. I would not have brooked any interference.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Who gave these people the right to object or interfere in what is purely a personal matter. Victor Hugo once said, &ldquo;your liberty extends only till where my nose begins&rdquo;, but here in India anybody and everybody seems to make it their business to render advice on so personal a matter and even suggest to find a suitable boy from one&rsquo;s own flock. But looking around me I realise this is not so simple a matter &ndash; the fires of obscurantism and religious intolerance are only growing each year, despite the seeming emancipation of society!&nbsp;</p>

<p>The event termed as SAHAS (Strengthening Alliances for Humanity and Secularism &ndash; Convener, Asif Iqbal) is staged each year on 14 February, in coincidence with the universal day of love. Held very aptly at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, on Deen Dyal Upadhyay Road, in New Delhi &ndash; both towering and secular personalities. The building itself was a bit rundown and needed a shot in the arm (like most institutions linked to the Mahatma), but the dingy atmosphere was more than overcome by the three hundred energetic young people from across India, who had congregated there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year it coincided with Valentine&rsquo;s Day, Ash Wednesday, and Mahashivratri &ndash; could not have been a more fitting occasion to celebrate the resilience of love in the face of hate and intolerance, when people of interfaith marriages, particularly Hindu &ndash; Muslim couples face discrimination on a daily basis, in housing, in jobs, and in travel. It is a sad reflection of Indian society where tolerance has always been its greatest strength. Little do we realise, Victorian values and family restrictions are not the flavours for the younger generation, more used to experimentation and freedom of thought.</p>

<p>Ask any parent and he will swear that they have brought up their children with correct moral and social values &ndash; how can they then deny their children the freedom to choose when they have become adults.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The subject on everyone&#39;s mind was &ldquo;Love Jihad&rdquo;, the nemesis of today&rsquo;s free-thinking society. The very phrase is oxymoronic, and people targeting interfaith marriages do not know the first thing about Jihad.</p>

<p>It may come as a surprise to most that this word is mentioned only once in the Holy Quran, testifying to its insignificance in Muslim thought. Yet, so much hatred has been spread because of it, &nbsp;and blood of innocents shed. Good and Evil, like Ying &amp; Yang, like Dharma and Adharma, are attributes that reside inside humans &ndash; the Quran enjoins people to root out that evil and become good beings, striving in God&rsquo;s cause. The meaning has been twisted for political and communal reasons to imply forcible conversion of faith, more specifically converting members of other religions to Islam.</p>

<p>What have been the catalysts for increasing number of successful interfaith &amp; intercaste marriages?</p>

<p>&nbsp;Social mobility, better economic prospects, and desire to spurn the pernicious evils of dowry and corruption are some issues that bother the young generation. The joint family system is eroding fast and with young men and women migrating to cities, it is but natural that they would interact with members of other communities, and social status. But the biggest factor has been the increasing number of educated women in today&rsquo;s society; women who no longer wish to be shackled under the archaic patriarchal system &ndash; they choose to make their own choices with regards their bodies and to marriage.</p>

<p>This is not to the liking of the established order and is the root cause of conflict between the older and younger generations. In some communities in northern India, girls find boys of their own community to be mentally and educationally incompatible and naturally choose from outside the group.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Current backlash, particularly, where it involves a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy, is also due to vested social reasons and dilution of the religious economy (priests stand to lose the most in terms of power and influence) and the political economy that thrives through divisions in society. These power centres now feel threatened by interfaith marriages which are chipping away at their stranglehold. Honour killings are orchestrated by the patriarchal system threatened by the fact that the younger generation dares to choose on its own, and in defiance of established social practices, where arranged marriages were the norm.</p>

<p>In most cases narrated by the congregation, it was not the parents (who generally were won over with the passage of time) of the girl that felt dishonoured, but relatives and village panchayats, acting like kangaroo courts and ordering honour killings to protect outdated social structures. Fiery speeches by eminent social activists like Jagmati Sangwan of Sonepat, who have risked life and limb to support abandoned/cowering couples, and Sheeba Aslam Fehmi, of Rajasthan, who has taken on the powerful Muslim Ulema, made the event memorable.</p>

<p>Be that as it may, the Constitution of India has overarching provisions that recognise the right of consenting adults, irrespective of religion, orientation or caste, &nbsp;to marry as they will, notwithstanding any objections of society, or parents, or relatives of the couple. Unfortunately, while the law is unambiguous and protection of fundamental rights has been assured by the highest court in the land, this means little in practice, to the marauding Hindutva hordes. Sadly, these lumpen elements are egged on by the very people &ndash; political leaders &ndash; charged with ensuring compliance with the law, maintaining communal harmony, and protecting the lives of its citizens.</p>

<p>One thing is certain &ndash; interfaith and intercaste marriages are an idea whose time has come and no amount of &ldquo;love jihad&rdquo;, or attacks by inimical groups, can stop the tide. Indeed these mixed marriages may be the answer to inter-communal conflicts, and the &ldquo;manuvadi&rdquo; system of segregation. Social and caste boundaries are blurring with the upward economic mobility of minorities/lower castes, and greater involvement of women in daily life.</p>

<p>As far back as 1950, framers of our Constitution realised that nature of society would change one day, and had envisioned the Civil Marriage Act, which resulted in the present Special Marriage Act. This latter has major lacunae, and needs to be completely re-written &ndash; instead of providing protection to interfaith marriages, it paints a target on young couples and their parents &ndash; their names and addresses are advertised to the world, allowing whosoever wishes, to interfere. This is what happened in the unfortunate case of Ankit Saxena of Delhi. What logic is there in asking if anyone has an objection to the marriage, especially when the parents of the boy and girl have none.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many horrific tales were narrated that day, of beatings, of confinement, and even murder by bloodthirsty goons in the presence of family members and parents. But there was an equal number of tales of courage, and of genuine love and acceptance by parents and in-laws. This gives great comfort and is a morale booster to NGOs like DHANAK, and movements like SAHAS. There were many couples whose parents had refused to accept the marriage initially, but eventually came around when they realised determination of the children and that would needlessly miss out on some great times with them and their grandchildren.</p>

<p>Society has to be sensitive, and realise that &ldquo;love is blind&rdquo; and knows no boundaries.</p>

<p>As a poet rightly said, &ldquo;Jab ishq ka junoon hadh se badh jaye, haste haste aashiq suli chadh jaye, khoob laga lo pehre aur bedhi; yehi Ishq ki marzi hai, yehi Rab ki marzi hai&rdquo;!&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</p>


While there are goons interfering in love life of couples, DHANAK preaches 'Right to choice' of partner.

I was recently asked if I would be able to participate and provide encouragement in an event, celebrating interfaith and intercaste marriages - being undertaken by an NGO called DHANAK. Latter name means “rainbow” in Urdu/Hindi, and champions the cause of “Right to Choice” of the partner in matters of marriage and relationships, and raises its voice against “Honour Killing” crimes in India. Over the years DHANAK has touched the lives of over 700 couples, providing them shelter from retributive parents and society, arranged marriages for eloping adults, and counseling both the couples and parents. The counselors explain that it is easy to love, but what is more important is, to understand that marriage is not a trifling matter, it is a lifelong commitment, along with a difficult path, given the social pressures by many communities. The call to me came from Shailaja Rao all the way from the USA – she, being a Hindu, is married to Mohammad Zubair, a Muslim. Why me, I wondered and then it dawned – it was consequent to an article on inter-faith marriage that I wrote for WION some weeks back. The catalyst for that article was the ghastly incident in Ghaziabad where Hindutva goons led by a local politician had the audacity to interfere - fortunately with no luck - in the marriage of a prominent Hindu businessman’s daughter to a Muslim boy. This incident made me sit up and reflect because my own daughter had earlier married a Muslim. I would not have brooked any interference. Who gave these people the right to object or interfere in what is purely a personal matter. Victor Hugo once said, “your liberty extends only till where my nose begins”, but here in India anybody and everybody seems to make it their business to render advice on so personal a matter and even suggest to find a suitable boy from one’s own flock. But looking around me I realise this is not so simple a matter – the fires of obscurantism and religious intolerance are only growing each year, despite the seeming emancipation of society! The event termed as SAHAS (Strengthening Alliances for Humanity and Secularism – Convener, Asif Iqbal) is staged each year on 14 February, in coincidence with the universal day of love. Held very aptly at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, on Deen Dyal Upadhyay Road, in New Delhi – both towering and secular personalities. The building itself was a bit rundown and needed a shot in the arm (like most institutions linked to the Mahatma), but the dingy atmosphere was more than overcome by the three hundred energetic young people from across India, who had congregated there. This year it coincided with Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, and Mahashivratri – could not have been a more fitting occasion to celebrate the resilience of love in the face of hate and intolerance, when people of interfaith marriages, particularly Hindu – Muslim couples face discrimination on a daily basis, in housing, in jobs, and in travel. It is a sad reflection of Indian society where tolerance has always been its greatest strength. Little do we realise, Victorian values and family restrictions are not the flavours for the younger generation, more used to experimentation and freedom of thought. Ask any parent and he will swear that they have brought up their children with correct moral and social values – how can they then deny their children the freedom to choose when they have become adults. The subject on everyone's mind was “Love Jihad”, the nemesis of today’s free-thinking society. The very phrase is oxymoronic, and people targeting interfaith marriages do not know the first thing about Jihad. It may come as a surprise to most that this word is mentioned only once in the Holy Quran, testifying to its insignificance in Muslim thought. Yet, so much hatred has been spread because of it, and blood of innocents shed. Good and Evil, like Ying & Yang, like Dharma and Adharma, are attributes that reside inside humans – the Quran enjoins people to root out that evil and become good beings, striving in God’s cause. The meaning has been twisted for political and communal reasons to imply forcible conversion of faith, more specifically converting members of other religions to Islam. What have been the catalysts for increasing number of successful interfaith & intercaste marriages? Social mobility, better economic prospects, and desire to spurn the pernicious evils of dowry and corruption are some issues that bother the young generation. The joint family system is eroding fast and with young men and women migrating to cities, it is but natural that they would interact with members of other communities, and social status. But the biggest factor has been the increasing number of educated women in today’s society; women who no longer wish to be shackled under the archaic patriarchal system – they choose to make their own choices with regards their bodies and to marriage. This is not to the liking of the established order and is the root cause of conflict between the older and younger generations. In some communities in northern India, girls find boys of their own community to be mentally and educationally incompatible and naturally choose from outside the group. Current backlash, particularly, where it involves a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy, is also due to vested social reasons and dilution of the religious economy (priests stand to lose the most in terms of power and influence) and the political economy that thrives through divisions in society. These power centres now feel threatened by interfaith marriages which are chipping away at their stranglehold. Honour killings are orchestrated by the patriarchal system threatened by the fact that the younger generation dares to choose on its own, and in defiance of established social practices, where arranged marriages were the norm. In most cases narrated by the congregation, it was not the parents (who generally were won over with the passage of time) of the girl that felt dishonoured, but relatives and village panchayats, acting like kangaroo courts and ordering honour killings to protect outdated social structures. Fiery speeches by eminent social activists like Jagmati Sangwan of Sonepat, who have risked life and limb to support abandoned/cowering couples, and Sheeba Aslam Fehmi, of Rajasthan, who has taken on the powerful Muslim Ulema, made the event memorable. Be that as it may, the Constitution of India has overarching provisions that recognise the right of consenting adults, irrespective of religion, orientation or caste, to marry as they will, notwithstanding any objections of society, or parents, or relatives of the couple. Unfortunately, while the law is unambiguous and protection of fundamental rights has been assured by the highest court in the land, this means little in practice, to the marauding Hindutva hordes. Sadly, these lumpen elements are egged on by the very people – political leaders – charged with ensuring compliance with the law, maintaining communal harmony, and protecting the lives of its citizens. One thing is certain – interfaith and intercaste marriages are an idea whose time has come and no amount of “love jihad”, or attacks by inimical groups, can stop the tide. Indeed these mixed marriages may be the answer to inter-communal conflicts, and the “manuvadi” system of segregation. Social and caste boundaries are blurring with the upward economic mobility of minorities/lower castes, and greater involvement of women in daily life. As far back as 1950, framers of our Constitution realised that nature of society would change one day, and had envisioned the Civil Marriage Act, which resulted in the present Special Marriage Act. This latter has major lacunae, and needs to be completely re-written – instead of providing protection to interfaith marriages, it paints a target on young couples and their parents – their names and addresses are advertised to the world, allowing whosoever wishes, to interfere. This is what happened in the unfortunate case of Ankit Saxena of Delhi. What logic is there in asking if anyone has an objection to the marriage, especially when the parents of the boy and girl have none. Many horrific tales were narrated that day, of beatings, of confinement, and even murder by bloodthirsty goons in the presence of family members and parents. But there was an equal number of tales of courage, and of genuine love and acceptance by parents and in-laws. This gives great comfort and is a morale booster to NGOs like DHANAK, and movements like SAHAS. There were many couples whose parents had refused to accept the marriage initially, but eventually came around when they realised determination of the children and that would needlessly miss out on some great times with them and their grandchildren. Society has to be sensitive, and realise that “love is blind” and knows no boundaries. As a poet rightly said, “Jab ishq ka junoon hadh se badh jaye, haste haste aashiq suli chadh jaye, khoob laga lo pehre aur bedhi; yehi Ishq ki marzi hai, yehi Rab ki marzi hai”! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Love in the time of jihad

<p>Supreme Court dealt a death blow to the sectarian view on personal choice and creative expression in the context of Padmavaat and Hadiya cases by restoring faith in the principle of individual right. Both controversies are different in origin but are linked by a common thread. Both issues are a result of muscular cultural nationalism which India is witnessing since 2014 in the name of political redemption and cultural renaissance. Both controversies are also laced with patriarchy and communitarian view of the power, gender and justice.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;The muscular cultural nationalism worked at two levels in both cases. In the case of Padmavat (which is a case of literature), the controversy became, allegedly, a matter of honour for the Rajput community. It also became an attempt to correct the history in context of the present politics. Even the defeat at the hand of Khilji becomes a moral victory. A victory of character which surpasses the physical and historical fact of defeat.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;In the case of Hadiya, interfaith marriage between two individuals became a conspiracy to change the demographic reality of India. It became an act of subversion, conspiracy by a section of the community, allowing the state to separate the couple. The discourse did not differentiate between criminal conspiracy by few and love marriage between the two.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;Both simultaneously undermine individual right in the context of the argument that no liberty is absolute. Both issues represent a sense of political redemption in terms of course correction of body politics in the present as well as claims of cultural renaissance by positing essence in core values related to a particular period, excluding medieval from ancient by stopping the clock of history. Both also represent shift within the discourse of nationalism. In India, the shift has been tangible. It has become cultural and community-centric, shifting from the civic and the constitutional.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Once the focus shifts from the civic body to the community, it acquires the power to subsume issues unrelated to it. For example, both Hadiya and Padmawati, apart from communitarian in nature is also very patriarchal. I doubt if the man would have been a Hindu and the woman Muslim in Hadiya case, there would have been an issue. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Padmavati becomes problematic on two counts. Rajput valour is both an accepted and a contested fact. It is accepted as a code of honour and contested because Rajputs, like any other royalties, made basic compromises to survive whether it was getting incorporated into Mughal mansabdari system or acquiescing to the British paramountcy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The honour of the Rajput community becomes embedded in Padmavati&rsquo;s body, wherein &lsquo;Talwar&rsquo; and &lsquo;Kangan&rsquo; become symbols of honour, sacrifice and resolve. Most fascinating part is that Rajput becomes interchangeable with Hindu. Rajput becomes a Hindu in the context of a Muslim and posited as the royalty in context of the other Hindu castes. Surprisingly, this sensibility is neither ancient or medieval. It is modern and product of communitarian sensibility, which wants to assert over and above the individual and his rights enshrined in the Constitution.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;Both discourses challenge the constitutional power. Padmavaat and the Hadiya coerce constitutional authorities to do their bidding. Padmavaat receives support from popular governments in the name of law and order and Hadiya from investigating agencies as it sees it as a threat to the state. Both do not differentiate between criminal intent and individual acts of choice and creativity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The debate gets locked between the binary of us and them wherein the majority community feels that all creative expression gets reserved for them and minority community is allowed far greater religious and cultural expression. This sense of injustice subverts constitutional power with the tacit support of the governments sustaining tension at grass root level.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;This politics is also an assault on the justice system. Justice becomes subservient to popular sentiment. Popular sentiment becomes a cheaply available commodity, amplified over the Internet and TV to be milked at right time and place. It subverts judicial pronouncements in the name of cultural expression and asserts the authenticity of the community over the modern nation-state. In the process, the commitment of the Constitution to an individual becomes a contested fact and the responsibility of the nation and law towards the community becomes mandatory. It reflects the subversion of letter and spirit of the law.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;In both the cases, the Court has played a better role than lawmakers who have fallen prey to sectional sentiments. Democracy should represent, accommodate and care for all sections and their sentiment but should never become a hostage to it.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Community wins, individual loses as nation fights over Hadiya and Padmavaat.

Supreme Court dealt a death blow to the sectarian view on personal choice and creative expression in the context of Padmavaat and Hadiya cases by restoring faith in the principle of individual right. Both controversies are different in origin but are linked by a common thread. Both issues are a result of muscular cultural nationalism which India is witnessing since 2014 in the name of political redemption and cultural renaissance. Both controversies are also laced with patriarchy and communitarian view of the power, gender and justice. The muscular cultural nationalism worked at two levels in both cases. In the case of Padmavat (which is a case of literature), the controversy became, allegedly, a matter of honour for the Rajput community. It also became an attempt to correct the history in context of the present politics. Even the defeat at the hand of Khilji becomes a moral victory. A victory of character which surpasses the physical and historical fact of defeat. In the case of Hadiya, interfaith marriage between two individuals became a conspiracy to change the demographic reality of India. It became an act of subversion, conspiracy by a section of the community, allowing the state to separate the couple. The discourse did not differentiate between criminal conspiracy by few and love marriage between the two. Both simultaneously undermine individual right in the context of the argument that no liberty is absolute. Both issues represent a sense of political redemption in terms of course correction of body politics in the present as well as claims of cultural renaissance by positing essence in core values related to a particular period, excluding medieval from ancient by stopping the clock of history. Both also represent shift within the discourse of nationalism. In India, the shift has been tangible. It has become cultural and community-centric, shifting from the civic and the constitutional. Once the focus shifts from the civic body to the community, it acquires the power to subsume issues unrelated to it. For example, both Hadiya and Padmawati, apart from communitarian in nature is also very patriarchal. I doubt if the man would have been a Hindu and the woman Muslim in Hadiya case, there would have been an issue. Padmavati becomes problematic on two counts. Rajput valour is both an accepted and a contested fact. It is accepted as a code of honour and contested because Rajputs, like any other royalties, made basic compromises to survive whether it was getting incorporated into Mughal mansabdari system or acquiescing to the British paramountcy. The honour of the Rajput community becomes embedded in Padmavati’s body, wherein ‘Talwar’ and ‘Kangan’ become symbols of honour, sacrifice and resolve. Most fascinating part is that Rajput becomes interchangeable with Hindu. Rajput becomes a Hindu in the context of a Muslim and posited as the royalty in context of the other Hindu castes. Surprisingly, this sensibility is neither ancient or medieval. It is modern and product of communitarian sensibility, which wants to assert over and above the individual and his rights enshrined in the Constitution. Both discourses challenge the constitutional power. Padmavaat and the Hadiya coerce constitutional authorities to do their bidding. Padmavaat receives support from popular governments in the name of law and order and Hadiya from investigating agencies as it sees it as a threat to the state. Both do not differentiate between criminal intent and individual acts of choice and creativity. The debate gets locked between the binary of us and them wherein the majority community feels that all creative expression gets reserved for them and minority community is allowed far greater religious and cultural expression. This sense of injustice subverts constitutional power with the tacit support of the governments sustaining tension at grass root level. This politics is also an assault on the justice system. Justice becomes subservient to popular sentiment. Popular sentiment becomes a cheaply available commodity, amplified over the Internet and TV to be milked at right time and place. It subverts judicial pronouncements in the name of cultural expression and asserts the authenticity of the community over the modern nation-state. In the process, the commitment of the Constitution to an individual becomes a contested fact and the responsibility of the nation and law towards the community becomes mandatory. It reflects the subversion of letter and spirit of the law. In both the cases, the Court has played a better role than lawmakers who have fallen prey to sectional sentiments. Democracy should represent, accommodate and care for all sections and their sentiment but should never become a hostage to it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Who wins when India fights over Hadiya and Padmavaat?

<p>The Supreme Court heard the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-nia-submits-100-page-report-on-hadiya-25262">Kerala Love Jihad case</a> earlier today observing that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cannot go into the marital status of Hadiya.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kerala &#39;Love Jihad&#39; case: Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioner Shefin Jahan asked for an investigation under the supervision of a retired judge as ordered by the previous bench.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955675729164886017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the Supreme Court, the NIA probe will have no bearing in deciding the aspects of the legitimacy of the marriage between Hadiya and Shafin Jahan which was annulled by the Kerala High Court.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Supreme Court observed that NIA probe will have no bearing in deciding the aspects of her legitimacy of marriage of Hadiya and Shafin Jahan which was annulled by HC.<br />
Supreme Court to hear the matter on February 22.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955677603779653632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Hadiya&#39;s husband Shefin Jahan, asked for an investigation under the supervision of a retired judge. The same was ordered by the previous bench.</p>

<p>&quot;We expect the NIA to file a report &amp; the court to permit the girl to continue her studies. We are happy that she is safe. Let&#39;s see what happens,&quot; A. Raghunath, one of the counsels of Hadiya&#39;s father noted after the hearing. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kerala &#39;Love Jihad&#39; case: A Raghunath, one of the counsel of Hadiya&#39;s father said, &quot;We expect the NIA to file a report &amp; the court to permit the girl to continue her studies. We are happy that she is safe. Let&#39;s see what happens&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lSfKyZqfhF">pic.twitter.com/lSfKyZqfhF</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955678396159160320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another SC hearing is scheduled on February 22.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-case-sc-orders-hadiyas-father-to-produce-her-before-it-23125">Hadiya has been in the news</a> after her <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hadiya-finally-gets-to-speak-to-her-husband-shes-relieved-from-depression-says-college-dean-25508">conversion to Islam</a> and marriage with Shafin Jahan in Kerala. The Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage and called it an instance of &#39;love jihad&#39;.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nia-questioned-hadiyas-husband-shafi-jahan-25860">Hadiya&#39;s husband</a> approached the Supreme court while she stayed at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks. The apex court later freed her from her parents&#39; custody and allowed her to travel to Tamil Nadu for her studies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The NIA was investigating the case so far.&nbsp;</p>


The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra

The Supreme Court heard the Kerala Love Jihad case earlier today observing that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cannot go into the marital status of Hadiya. Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioner Shefin Jahan asked for an investigation under the supervision of a retired judge as ordered by the previous bench. — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. According to the Supreme Court, the NIA probe will have no bearing in deciding the aspects of the legitimacy of the marriage between Hadiya and Shafin Jahan which was annulled by the Kerala High Court. Supreme Court observed that NIA probe will have no bearing in deciding the aspects of her legitimacy of marriage of Hadiya and Shafin Jahan which was annulled by HC. Supreme Court to hear the matter on February 22. — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Hadiya's husband Shefin Jahan, asked for an investigation under the supervision of a retired judge. The same was ordered by the previous bench. "We expect the NIA to file a report & the court to permit the girl to continue her studies. We are happy that she is safe. Let's see what happens," A. Raghunath, one of the counsels of Hadiya's father noted after the hearing. Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: A Raghunath, one of the counsel of Hadiya's father said, "We expect the NIA to file a report & the court to permit the girl to continue her studies. We are happy that she is safe. Let's see what happens" pic.twitter.com/lSfKyZqfhF — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × Another SC hearing is scheduled on February 22. Hadiya has been in the news after her conversion to Islam and marriage with Shafin Jahan in Kerala. The Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage and called it an instance of 'love jihad'. Hadiya's husband approached the Supreme court while she stayed at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks. The apex court later freed her from her parents' custody and allowed her to travel to Tamil Nadu for her studies. The NIA was investigating the case so far.

Kerala love jihad case: NIA cannot go into marital status of Hadiya, says Supreme Court

<p>The police in Bidar resorted to lathicharge&nbsp;after&nbsp;protestors agitating against rape and murder of a college student went out of control on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The protest turned&nbsp;violent as agitators started pelting stones at police in the village of Balki Taluk of Bidar, Karnataka.</p>

<p>Earlier, a strike&nbsp;was called by Hitharakshana Vedike in Bidar following the rape incident.</p>

<p>According to media reports, police vehicles were damaged and several people were also injured during the agitation.</p>

<p>However, the situation is under control now.</p>

<p>All shops of Bidar remained closed on Tuesday following the strike, which received support from groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Sri Rama Sena and ABVP.</p>

<p>A 19-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered after her throat was allegedly slit by her boyfriend&nbsp;</p>

<p>The police have arrested the accused and the body has been recovered from the place where her boyfriend allegedly buried it.</p>


The protest went violent agitators started pelting stones at police in the village of Balki Taluk of Bidar, Karnataka

The police in Bidar resorted to lathicharge after protestors agitating against rape and murder of a college student went out of control on Tuesday. The protest turned violent as agitators started pelting stones at police in the village of Balki Taluk of Bidar, Karnataka. Earlier, a strike was called by Hitharakshana Vedike in Bidar following the rape incident. According to media reports, police vehicles were damaged and several people were also injured during the agitation. However, the situation is under control now. All shops of Bidar remained closed on Tuesday following the strike, which received support from groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Sri Rama Sena and ABVP. A 19-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered after her throat was allegedly slit by her boyfriend The police have arrested the accused and the body has been recovered from the place where her boyfriend allegedly buried it.

Karnataka: Police lathicharge agitators protesting against Bidar rape case

<p>The Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/man-burnt-alive-in-rajasthans-rajsamand-in-suspected-case-of-love-jihad-26095" target="_blank">man who was burnt alive </a>in a case of suspected &#39;love jihad&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The announcement comes after the&nbsp;police recently recovered a partly burnt body of a man in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand.</p>

<p>The victim was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The man is suspected to be a victim of &quot;Love Jihad&quot;.</p>

<p>The police have stated that the victim was burnt alive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A&nbsp;video had emerged on social media in which a resident of Rajsamand was seen beating the victim&nbsp;Afrazul. In the video, he is initially seen hitting the victim with an axe. Later, pouring kerosene on his body and burning him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The man is also heard as saying &#39;&#39;those who indulge in &#39;love jihad&#39; will be met with same fate.&#39;&#39;</p>

<p>Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate in the case.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The man is suspected to be a victim of 'Love Jihad'

The Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the man who was burnt alive in a case of suspected 'love jihad'. The announcement comes after the police recently recovered a partly burnt body of a man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand. The victim was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal. The man is suspected to be a victim of "Love Jihad". The police have stated that the victim was burnt alive. A video had emerged on social media in which a resident of Rajsamand was seen beating the victim Afrazul. In the video, he is initially seen hitting the victim with an axe. Later, pouring kerosene on his body and burning him. The man is also heard as saying ''those who indulge in 'love jihad' will be met with same fate.'' Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate in the case.

Rajasthan government announces Rs 5 lakh compensation for man burnt alive

<p>West Bengal government officials met on Saturday with the family members of the man who was burnt to death in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand.</p>

<p>The officials visited the victim&#39;s residence in Malda, gave his wife a widow&#39;s pension and assured employment to his next of kin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/topic/rajasthan-government-announces-rs-5-lakh-compensat" target="_blank">compensation of Rs 5 lakh</a> for the family of the man who was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal. Afrazul was reportedly burnt to death because his attacker accused him of &#39;love jihad&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">West Bengal: State government officials met family of man burnt to death in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand, at their residence in Malda; provided widow pension to deceased&#39;s wife &amp; assured employment to kin <a href="https://t.co/TiYGYpKCiq">pic.twitter.com/TiYGYpKCiq</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939510562345459712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A video of the incident went viral on social media showing Afrazul getting beaten by a local resident who is now arrested.</p>

<p>Afrazul is first seen getting hit with an axe and is later set on fire.</p>

<p>The accused is heard saying, &#39;&#39;those who indulge in &#39;love jihad&#39; will be met with the same fate,&#39;&#39; in the video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A special investigation team (SIT) investigates the case at present.</p>


Mohammed Afrazul's next of kin were assured of employment

West Bengal government officials met on Saturday with the family members of the man who was burnt to death in Rajasthan's Rajsamand. The officials visited the victim's residence in Malda, gave his wife a widow's pension and assured employment to his next of kin. Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the man who was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal. Afrazul was reportedly burnt to death because his attacker accused him of 'love jihad'. West Bengal: State government officials met family of man burnt to death in Rajasthan's Rajsamand, at their residence in Malda; provided widow pension to deceased's wife & assured employment to kin pic.twitter.com/TiYGYpKCiq — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × A video of the incident went viral on social media showing Afrazul getting beaten by a local resident who is now arrested. Afrazul is first seen getting hit with an axe and is later set on fire. The accused is heard saying, ''those who indulge in 'love jihad' will be met with the same fate,'' in the video. A special investigation team (SIT) investigates the case at present.

Man burnt alive in Rajasthan: Bengal officials meet victim's widow, offer her pension

<p>The last week of November saw lots of emotions, shocks and surprises in the Supreme Court of India and among the news media and social media for a 24-year-old woman named Akhila Ashokan @ Hadiya. Hadiya is a budding Homeopath doctor, whom the Supreme Court had &lsquo;helped&rsquo; to get back to Salem, Tamil Nadu for completing her course.</p>

<p>The question is, why a Hindu adult woman who converted into Islam attracted so much attention from researchers, lawyers, social scientists and media? Is it because she first embraced Islam (allegedly) for her own interest in the religion, then did a &lsquo;love marriage&rsquo; to a Muslim amidst ongoing court case for Habious &ndash; corpus which was filed by her parents, which was later annulled by the Kerala High Court within a few weeks of the marriage? Or because of the &lsquo;Islamphobia&rsquo;? or because of the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision to free her from parent&rsquo;s custody to go to the college and &lsquo;meet whomever she wants to meet&rsquo;?</p>

<p>Noticeably, her love affair (including marriage) was not the only love affair which was pulled to the court by the parents of adult women in India. Lata Singh, Babli Rani, Divya and &nbsp;Kaushalya were some of the prominent adult women who did love marriages during the period from 2000 to 2016 and were dragged to the courts mostly against their wishes by the parents and the circumstances.</p>

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<h5>The failure of the High court to save an inter-caste love marriage between two adults sent a disastrous message to the society.</h5>
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<p>While in Lata and Babli&rsquo;s case, the court respected the right to choose their husbands according to their own choice, in Divya&rsquo;s case, the court failed to reunite the couple. Court had put emphasis on the allegation of &lsquo;brainwashing&rsquo; of Divya by her &lsquo;lover&rsquo; turned husband. Reluctant Divya returned to her mother, and the very next day the news media reported about the death of Ilavarasan, her husband. Reportedly, he committed suicide.</p>

<p>The failure of the High court to save an inter-caste love marriage between two adults sent a disastrous message to the society which witnessed the gruesome murder of V. Shankar, a young Engineering graduate in broad daylight. He was murdered because he married Kaushalya, whose parents were vehemently against inter-caste love marriages.</p>

<p>In Hadiya&rsquo;s case, the Kerala High court annulled the love marriage and questioned her intention to embrace Islam. Supreme Court, however, did not touch the issue of annulment of marriage but relieved her from the designation of &lsquo;detenu&rsquo;. She was no more made &lsquo;bound to be in her parent&rsquo;s custody&rsquo; only.</p>

<p>In my earlier research*, I had observed that &ldquo;In Indian value system, love marriages against the wish of the family members or the elders of the community or society are considered an extreme form of revolt against the established family/ community or social norms. The social mindset has been so set also because of the historical past in India where local invaders from different tribes as well as non-Hindus including Muslims and Christians had from time to time invaded cities and destroyed the socio-economic and cultural structure of the existing societies.</p>

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<h5>The fear of sexual exploitation of unmarried young girls by foreign settlers, including Muslim and other colonial rulers was one of the key factors to restrict marriages within the sect.</h5>
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<p>The fear of sexual exploitation of unmarried young girls by foreign settlers, including Muslim and other colonial rulers and grabbing of the property in the name of forceful dominance, was one of the key factors for many Indian societies from different geo-locations to restrict marriages within the sect.&rdquo;</p>

<p>While this can be said to be the base of the mindset behind dragging the married daughters to the court to give a judicial stamp over the opinion of the parents, in my opinion, the courts should start approaching the inter-caste and inter-religious love marriages from Therapeutic Jurisprudential perspectives. The modern holistic concept of Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) was developed by Professors David Wexler and Bruce Winnick in 1980&rsquo;s. This jurisprudence speaks about law&rsquo;s healing power. It gives much emphasis on the mental well being of people and law and its agents&rsquo; role in the same. TJ practitioners and researchers explain that the judges, lawyers, police, social workers, including restorative justice practitioners are the agents of the law.</p>

<p>As may be seen in Hadiya&rsquo;s case, while Kerala High court showed its concern for conversion to &nbsp;radicalisation, the senior lawyers in Supreme Court reportedly requested the Supreme Court to understand that Hadiya is not a subject of POCSO Act, neither that of juvenile justice care and protection of children Act (which has extended its scope to cover juvenile offenders who may fall within the delicate age group of above 18 and under 21) and she may be matured enough to understand the consequences of her commitments.</p>

<p>As per news media report, Kerala has observed a sudden growth in radicalisation&nbsp;of terror organisations. Hence, the High Court very naturally turned its concern towards &lsquo;why&rsquo; and &lsquo;how&rsquo; &nbsp;the conversion took place. But the judicial process and dealing with the woman in question by the judges, the lawyers and the police probably made her lose confidence in law&rsquo;s welfare power.</p>

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<p>One particular portion of Kerala High Court attracts my attention here: Akhila @Hadiya was prohibited from using mobile phones while she was &lsquo;ordered&rsquo; to stay at a certain hostel and only parents were allowed to meet her. Maybe the High Court felt that through the Internet and digital communication technology she may be influenced or radicalised to have a deeper belief in destructive, misleading concepts. But then, look at the consequence: clearly, she got married in spite of the best efforts of the court and the parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>What failed here? In my opinion, it is the communication between the judges and the woman which was not therapeutic as per therapeutic jurisprudential ideology. The latter part of the judgement rather showed the anger and frustration of the court over the woman&rsquo;s decision to marry in haste while the case was ongoing. Now, can the court stop an adult individual to get married to a person she has chosen? Probably not.</p>

<p>The court can at the most counsel the individual to be careful with her decision. Again, there is a difference between stopping an adult individual to get married and annulling a marriage due to a technical lacuna in the execution of the marriage.</p>

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<p>Kerala High Court did not do the former. The Supreme Court did not look into the later. However, the Supreme Court in its interim order freed her from the &lsquo;preventive&rsquo; custody of her parents; &lsquo;preventive&rsquo; because she is now allowed to meet anyone and talk to anyone while completing her course in the college. This indeed is a therapeutic jurisprudential approach, whereby, the court has considered the aspects of freedom of speech acquire and right to privacy of the woman for her mental wellbeing.</p>

<p>However, the annulment of marriage would be a subject for Supreme Court after the consideration of NIA report. As such, Supreme Court still has avenues open for counselling Hadiya to take a matured decision in her life. Hadiya would not be legally punished for choosing a wrong man if in case the NIA report of her estranged husband indicates him as a threat to the security of the nation. But she would have undergone enough mental traumas for her choices in life because of family pressure, societal pressure and the wide media coverage which termed the whole episode as &lsquo;love jihad&#39;. The court may, therefore, turn its concern towards Hadiya as a victim of circumstances and not exclusively as that of &lsquo;love jihad&rsquo;.</p>

<p>We know that love is blind. We also know that forceful prevention of adults from falling into emotional commitments may have disastrous consequences, especially in this Internet age. She can be prevented from marrying and living forever with one Muslim man who may have the connection with banned organisations, but she may not be prevented from getting connected with groups of religious fanatics who may try to take revenge by influencing her broken heart. The court, therefore, should not neglect her as &lsquo;leftover&rsquo; party after deciding over the issue of annulment of the marriage.</p>

<p>* Titled &ldquo;Love Marriages, Inter-Caste Violence, and Therapeutic Jurisprudential Approach of the Courts in India&rdquo; (co-authored with professor K. Jaishankar, published in Halder D., &amp; Jaishankar K. (Eds.) (2017). &quot;Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Overcoming Violence against Women&quot;. Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global. ISBN: 978-1-5225-2472-4.)</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


In Indian value system, love marriages against the wish of the family members or the elders of the community or society are considered an extreme form of revolt against the established family/ community or social norms

The last week of November saw lots of emotions, shocks and surprises in the Supreme Court of India and among the news media and social media for a 24-year-old woman named Akhila Ashokan @ Hadiya. Hadiya is a budding Homeopath doctor, whom the Supreme Court had ‘helped’ to get back to Salem, Tamil Nadu for completing her course. The question is, why a Hindu adult woman who converted into Islam attracted so much attention from researchers, lawyers, social scientists and media? Is it because she first embraced Islam (allegedly) for her own interest in the religion, then did a ‘love marriage’ to a Muslim amidst ongoing court case for Habious – corpus which was filed by her parents, which was later annulled by the Kerala High Court within a few weeks of the marriage? Or because of the ‘Islamphobia’? or because of the Supreme Court’s decision to free her from parent’s custody to go to the college and ‘meet whomever she wants to meet’? Noticeably, her love affair (including marriage) was not the only love affair which was pulled to the court by the parents of adult women in India. Lata Singh, Babli Rani, Divya and Kaushalya were some of the prominent adult women who did love marriages during the period from 2000 to 2016 and were dragged to the courts mostly against their wishes by the parents and the circumstances. The failure of the High court to save an inter-caste love marriage between two adults sent a disastrous message to the society. × While in Lata and Babli’s case, the court respected the right to choose their husbands according to their own choice, in Divya’s case, the court failed to reunite the couple. Court had put emphasis on the allegation of ‘brainwashing’ of Divya by her ‘lover’ turned husband. Reluctant Divya returned to her mother, and the very next day the news media reported about the death of Ilavarasan, her husband. Reportedly, he committed suicide. The failure of the High court to save an inter-caste love marriage between two adults sent a disastrous message to the society which witnessed the gruesome murder of V. Shankar, a young Engineering graduate in broad daylight. He was murdered because he married Kaushalya, whose parents were vehemently against inter-caste love marriages. In Hadiya’s case, the Kerala High court annulled the love marriage and questioned her intention to embrace Islam. Supreme Court, however, did not touch the issue of annulment of marriage but relieved her from the designation of ‘detenu’. She was no more made ‘bound to be in her parent’s custody’ only. In my earlier research*, I had observed that “In Indian value system, love marriages against the wish of the family members or the elders of the community or society are considered an extreme form of revolt against the established family/ community or social norms. The social mindset has been so set also because of the historical past in India where local invaders from different tribes as well as non-Hindus including Muslims and Christians had from time to time invaded cities and destroyed the socio-economic and cultural structure of the existing societies. The fear of sexual exploitation of unmarried young girls by foreign settlers, including Muslim and other colonial rulers was one of the key factors to restrict marriages within the sect. × The fear of sexual exploitation of unmarried young girls by foreign settlers, including Muslim and other colonial rulers and grabbing of the property in the name of forceful dominance, was one of the key factors for many Indian societies from different geo-locations to restrict marriages within the sect.” While this can be said to be the base of the mindset behind dragging the married daughters to the court to give a judicial stamp over the opinion of the parents, in my opinion, the courts should start approaching the inter-caste and inter-religious love marriages from Therapeutic Jurisprudential perspectives. The modern holistic concept of Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) was developed by Professors David Wexler and Bruce Winnick in 1980’s. This jurisprudence speaks about law’s healing power. It gives much emphasis on the mental well being of people and law and its agents’ role in the same. TJ practitioners and researchers explain that the judges, lawyers, police, social workers, including restorative justice practitioners are the agents of the law. As may be seen in Hadiya’s case, while Kerala High court showed its concern for conversion to radicalisation, the senior lawyers in Supreme Court reportedly requested the Supreme Court to understand that Hadiya is not a subject of POCSO Act, neither that of juvenile justice care and protection of children Act (which has extended its scope to cover juvenile offenders who may fall within the delicate age group of above 18 and under 21) and she may be matured enough to understand the consequences of her commitments. As per news media report, Kerala has observed a sudden growth in radicalisation of terror organisations. Hence, the High Court very naturally turned its concern towards ‘why’ and ‘how’ the conversion took place. But the judicial process and dealing with the woman in question by the judges, the lawyers and the police probably made her lose confidence in law’s welfare power. It is the communication between the judges and the woman which was not therapeutic as per therapeutic jurisprudential ideology. × One particular portion of Kerala High Court attracts my attention here: Akhila @Hadiya was prohibited from using mobile phones while she was ‘ordered’ to stay at a certain hostel and only parents were allowed to meet her. Maybe the High Court felt that through the Internet and digital communication technology she may be influenced or radicalised to have a deeper belief in destructive, misleading concepts. But then, look at the consequence: clearly, she got married in spite of the best efforts of the court and the parents. What failed here? In my opinion, it is the communication between the judges and the woman which was not therapeutic as per therapeutic jurisprudential ideology. The latter part of the judgement rather showed the anger and frustration of the court over the woman’s decision to marry in haste while the case was ongoing. Now, can the court stop an adult individual to get married to a person she has chosen? Probably not. The court can at the most counsel the individual to be careful with her decision. Again, there is a difference between stopping an adult individual to get married and annulling a marriage due to a technical lacuna in the execution of the marriage. Therapeutic jurisprudential approach whereby the court has considered the aspects of freedom of speech acquire information and right to privacy of the woman for her mental wellbeing. × Kerala High Court did not do the former. The Supreme Court did not look into the later. However, the Supreme Court in its interim order freed her from the ‘preventive’ custody of her parents; ‘preventive’ because she is now allowed to meet anyone and talk to anyone while completing her course in the college. This indeed is a therapeutic jurisprudential approach, whereby, the court has considered the aspects of freedom of speech acquire and right to privacy of the woman for her mental wellbeing. However, the annulment of marriage would be a subject for Supreme Court after the consideration of NIA report. As such, Supreme Court still has avenues open for counselling Hadiya to take a matured decision in her life. Hadiya would not be legally punished for choosing a wrong man if in case the NIA report of her estranged husband indicates him as a threat to the security of the nation. But she would have undergone enough mental traumas for her choices in life because of family pressure, societal pressure and the wide media coverage which termed the whole episode as ‘love jihad'. The court may, therefore, turn its concern towards Hadiya as a victim of circumstances and not exclusively as that of ‘love jihad’. We know that love is blind. We also know that forceful prevention of adults from falling into emotional commitments may have disastrous consequences, especially in this Internet age. She can be prevented from marrying and living forever with one Muslim man who may have the connection with banned organisations, but she may not be prevented from getting connected with groups of religious fanatics who may try to take revenge by influencing her broken heart. The court, therefore, should not neglect her as ‘leftover’ party after deciding over the issue of annulment of the marriage. * Titled “Love Marriages, Inter-Caste Violence, and Therapeutic Jurisprudential Approach of the Courts in India” (co-authored with professor K. Jaishankar, published in Halder D., & Jaishankar K. (Eds.) (2017). "Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Overcoming Violence against Women". Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global. ISBN: 978-1-5225-2472-4.) (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Love Jihad, Islamophobia or just love?

<p>Love. The word carries so much worth for me. I am sure it does for you too. As a kid, as a woman, as a mother and as an Indian, the word love remained almost inextricably yet imperceptively linked to my existence. I loved my mother as a child, as a woman I fell in love with more than one man and married the one I loved the most, I love my son so much that I feel my heart would burst. Beyond these personal relationships, the feeling of love seeped in my work sphere too. I loved being a teacher, writer and mentor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And, God knows I love my country. I do get goosebumps when I hear the national anthem though I hate to be so emotional.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the word love does not come to me, anymore, in its purest and loveliest form. So much is going on in India in the name of love-the whole politics around it- that the word nowadays causes me anxiety, dismay and anger. When in love, one could give up everything, even one&#39;s life. But now with politicisation of love, it is not anymore a constructive emotion alone which inspired kindest of acts and most beautiful creative works worldwide. Associated with vengeance, love has become an instrument to impose one set of religious identity over others. Instead of acting as an antidote to hatred, love has now become the reason to kill.</p>

<p>This morning, news started pouring in on a Muslim man, Mohammed Afrazul, who has been hacked to death and then burnt for, allegedly, being in a relationship with a Hindu girl. The grotesque video of the heinous act is making its round in the social media. The media thinks that it could be a case of reprisal against inter-faith marriage.</p>

<p>Marriage customs have always been strictly defined in India. Religious norms, caste practices, economic logic are some of the cardinal factors determining who could marry whom. Even Bollywood picked up the theme to make innumerable movies, the most memorable being Mani Ratnam&#39;s Bombay which showed the challenges of interfaith marriage. Then there is Veer-Zara, Bobby, Julie, and Baji Rao Mastani.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While societies across the world have never been too welcoming about defying boundaries in a conjugal relationship, the violence and hatred that we witness in the commonest of people in India on matters of Hindu-Muslim marriage nowadays are unprecedented.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a world torn by terrorism, Jihad has become the most hated and feared word. For the most unfortunate reason, the word Jihad has now been coupled with love to imply marriage with the intention of conversion. Allegedly Muslim right-wing organisations are working towards converting Hindu girls to Islam by encouraging Muslim boys to enter into a relationship with them. There has, however, been no evidence supporting the existence of love jihad in India though.</p>

<p>But the danger of half-baked ideas of cultural nationalism is it can very easily be twisted to create anxiety about the &#39;other&#39;. Culture, in most cases, comes to be interpreted as the religious culture. Anyone who does not fall within the ambit of majoritarian religious identity, therefore, will find it difficult to find an equal place within the scope of the nation-state. The tensed dynamics of majoritarian politics has often contributed to violence against the minorities. The minorities appear as not only different but dangerous-a threat to the purity of the cultural identity of the majority community.</p>

<p>India&#39;s national fabric is very fragile at the moment. If there is so little trust between the nation&#39;s constituent communities, no amount of national anthem singing in public spaces will ensure harmony. Personally, I feel that as a nation we will do better if we rely more on the strength of love as a bonding factor rather than stress on cultural insignias as the mark of distinctiveness from the &#39;other&#39;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The minorities appear as not only different but dangerous-a threat to the purity of the cultural identity of the majority community.

Love. The word carries so much worth for me. I am sure it does for you too. As a kid, as a woman, as a mother and as an Indian, the word love remained almost inextricably yet imperceptively linked to my existence. I loved my mother as a child, as a woman I fell in love with more than one man and married the one I loved the most, I love my son so much that I feel my heart would burst. Beyond these personal relationships, the feeling of love seeped in my work sphere too. I loved being a teacher, writer and mentor. And, God knows I love my country. I do get goosebumps when I hear the national anthem though I hate to be so emotional. But the word love does not come to me, anymore, in its purest and loveliest form. So much is going on in India in the name of love-the whole politics around it- that the word nowadays causes me anxiety, dismay and anger. When in love, one could give up everything, even one's life. But now with politicisation of love, it is not anymore a constructive emotion alone which inspired kindest of acts and most beautiful creative works worldwide. Associated with vengeance, love has become an instrument to impose one set of religious identity over others. Instead of acting as an antidote to hatred, love has now become the reason to kill. This morning, news started pouring in on a Muslim man, Mohammed Afrazul, who has been hacked to death and then burnt for, allegedly, being in a relationship with a Hindu girl. The grotesque video of the heinous act is making its round in the social media. The media thinks that it could be a case of reprisal against inter-faith marriage. Marriage customs have always been strictly defined in India. Religious norms, caste practices, economic logic are some of the cardinal factors determining who could marry whom. Even Bollywood picked up the theme to make innumerable movies, the most memorable being Mani Ratnam's Bombay which showed the challenges of interfaith marriage. Then there is Veer-Zara, Bobby, Julie, and Baji Rao Mastani. While societies across the world have never been too welcoming about defying boundaries in a conjugal relationship, the violence and hatred that we witness in the commonest of people in India on matters of Hindu-Muslim marriage nowadays are unprecedented. In a world torn by terrorism, Jihad has become the most hated and feared word. For the most unfortunate reason, the word Jihad has now been coupled with love to imply marriage with the intention of conversion. Allegedly Muslim right-wing organisations are working towards converting Hindu girls to Islam by encouraging Muslim boys to enter into a relationship with them. There has, however, been no evidence supporting the existence of love jihad in India though. But the danger of half-baked ideas of cultural nationalism is it can very easily be twisted to create anxiety about the 'other'. Culture, in most cases, comes to be interpreted as the religious culture. Anyone who does not fall within the ambit of majoritarian religious identity, therefore, will find it difficult to find an equal place within the scope of the nation-state. The tensed dynamics of majoritarian politics has often contributed to violence against the minorities. The minorities appear as not only different but dangerous-a threat to the purity of the cultural identity of the majority community. India's national fabric is very fragile at the moment. If there is so little trust between the nation's constituent communities, no amount of national anthem singing in public spaces will ensure harmony. Personally, I feel that as a nation we will do better if we rely more on the strength of love as a bonding factor rather than stress on cultural insignias as the mark of distinctiveness from the 'other'. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why Muhammad has to die for love

<p>In what is suspected to be a case of &#39;love jihad&#39;, &nbsp;the police have recovered a partly-bunt body of a man in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Upon receiving information about a murder over &#39;love jihad&#39;, a team of policemen rushed to the spot and conducted inquiries with the neighbours in the area. Following inquiries, the police identified the victim as &nbsp;Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant worker from Malda, West Bengal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The police also recovered an axe used for committing the murder and&nbsp;Afrazul&#39;s bike and slippers from the crime spot.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is shocking how he killed the man and made a video of it. Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been set up for investigation in the case: Gulab Chand Kataria, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rajasthan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rajasthan</a> Home Minister on incident in Rajsamand where a man was burnt to death. <a href="https://t.co/4d7vbPc3NH">pic.twitter.com/4d7vbPc3NH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938634136977260544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The perpetrator&nbsp;of the crime allegedly burnt the body of the victim by pouring kerosene on him, police said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a video has emerged on social media in which one &nbsp;Shambhulal Raigar, a resident of Rajsamand, is seen beating the victim&nbsp;Afrazul. In the video, Raigar is initially seen hitting the victim with an axe. Later, pouring kerosene on his body and burning him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the video, Raigar is heard as saying &#39;&#39;those who indulge in &#39;love jihad&#39; will be met with same fate.&#39;&#39;</p>

<p>Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajasthan&nbsp;Home Minister expressed shock over the incident and said &#39;&#39;it&#39;s&nbsp;shocking how he killed the man and made a video of it&#39;&#39;.</p>

<p>Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate in the case, he added.&nbsp;</p>


The police recovered the agriculture equipment used for committing the murder and the victim's bike and slippers from the crime spot.?

In what is suspected to be a case of 'love jihad', the police have recovered a partly-bunt body of a man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand. Upon receiving information about a murder over 'love jihad', a team of policemen rushed to the spot and conducted inquiries with the neighbours in the area. Following inquiries, the police identified the victim as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant worker from Malda, West Bengal. The police also recovered an axe used for committing the murder and Afrazul's bike and slippers from the crime spot. It is shocking how he killed the man and made a video of it. Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been set up for investigation in the case: Gulab Chand Kataria, #Rajasthan Home Minister on incident in Rajsamand where a man was burnt to death. pic.twitter.com/4d7vbPc3NH — ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2017 × The perpetrator of the crime allegedly burnt the body of the victim by pouring kerosene on him, police said. Meanwhile, a video has emerged on social media in which one Shambhulal Raigar, a resident of Rajsamand, is seen beating the victim Afrazul. In the video, Raigar is initially seen hitting the victim with an axe. Later, pouring kerosene on his body and burning him. In the video, Raigar is heard as saying ''those who indulge in 'love jihad' will be met with same fate.'' Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajasthan Home Minister expressed shock over the incident and said ''it's shocking how he killed the man and made a video of it''. Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate in the case, he added.

Man burnt alive in Rajasthan's Rajsamand in suspected case of love jihad

<p>The National Investigation Agency has questioned Hadiya&#39;s husband Shafi Jahan in connection with Kerala &quot;Love Jihad&quot; case.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hadiyas-statements-cannot-be-taken-at-face-value-fathers-lawyer-25176" target="_blank">Hadiya&#39;s father K M Ashokan </a>had opposed her marriage alleging she is being brainwashed by Shafin who wants to recruit her for terror.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She was Akhila&nbsp;before converting to Islam and marrying Shafin Jahan. Their marriage is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for being a case of what is called &quot;Love Jihad&quot;, seen by many Right-wing activists as an Islamist ploy to convert Hindu young women.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/sc-refuses-to-nullify-marriage-of-25-year-old-hadiya-to-a-muslim-man-5630" target="_blank">Kerala High Court annulled her marriage</a>&nbsp;to Shafin Jahan in May after which Hadiya was in the custody of her parents for almost six months.</p>

<p>Her husband had then approached the apex court. The Supreme Court has postponed the next hearing of the case for&nbsp;the third week of January.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the NIA claimed that Hadiya&#39;s&nbsp;husband <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hadiyas-husband-was-in-touch-with-is-before-their-marriage-nia-25817" target="_blank">Shafin Jahan was in touch with suspected Islamic State</a> members before their marriage.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The NIA claimed that Hadiya's?husband Shafin Jahan was in touch with suspected Islamic State members before their marriage

The National Investigation Agency has questioned Hadiya's husband Shafi Jahan in connection with Kerala "Love Jihad" case. Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan. Hadiya's father K M Ashokan had opposed her marriage alleging she is being brainwashed by Shafin who wants to recruit her for terror. She was Akhila before converting to Islam and marrying Shafin Jahan. Their marriage is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for being a case of what is called "Love Jihad", seen by many Right-wing activists as an Islamist ploy to convert Hindu young women. The Kerala High Court annulled her marriage to Shafin Jahan in May after which Hadiya was in the custody of her parents for almost six months. Her husband had then approached the apex court. The Supreme Court has postponed the next hearing of the case for the third week of January. Meanwhile, the NIA claimed that Hadiya's husband Shafin Jahan was in touch with suspected Islamic State members before their marriage.

NIA questions Hadiya's husband Shafi Jahan

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bali-raises-volcano-alert-to-highest-level-officials-25207"><strong>Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level</strong></a></p>

<p>An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia&#39;s resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday.</p>

<p><strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/federal-law-minister-zahid-hamid-submits-resignation-25211">Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns, says hopes protests will end</a></strong></p>

<p>Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi late on Sunday, media reports said.&nbsp;Hamid said he hoped his resignation would bring the crisis to an end.&nbsp;There had been massive protests against Hamid in the capital Islamabad.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-heads-to-myanmar-as-rohingya-refugee-crisis-unfolds-25210"><strong>Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar &amp; Bangladesh</strong></a></p>

<p>&#39;&#39;My presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis.&nbsp;&quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-crush-england-by-10-wickets-in-1st-test-25214"><strong>Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test</strong></a></p>

<p>Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team&#39;s character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England&#39;s agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-hadiya-to-present-her-side-of-story-before-supreme-court-bench-today-25218"><strong>Kerala &#39;love jihad&#39; case: Hadiya to appear in Supreme Court today</strong></a></p>

<p>Kerala woman, Hadiya, who is in the midst of Love Jihad controversy, will depose before the Supreme Court on Monday to tell her side of the story.<br />
Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>


Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday. Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns, says hopes protests will end Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi late on Sunday, media reports said. Hamid said he hoped his resignation would bring the crisis to an end. There had been massive protests against Hamid in the capital Islamabad. Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar & Bangladesh ''My presence is a sign of affinity and hope," said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team's character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England's agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day. Kerala 'love jihad' case: Hadiya to appear in Supreme Court today Kerala woman, Hadiya, who is in the midst of Love Jihad controversy, will depose before the Supreme Court on Monday to tell her side of the story. Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.

WION morning news brief, November 27, 2017

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/after-bagging-quickest-300-test-wickets-ravichandran-ashwin-now-eyes-to-double-the-record-25268" target="_blank">After bagging quickest 300 Test wickets, Ashwin eyes &#39;super 600&#39;</a></p>

<p>As&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-india-two-wickets-away-from-crushing-win-against-sri-lanka-25236" target="_blank">India beat Sri Lanka</a>&nbsp;by an inning and 239 runs in the Nagpur test today,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/ashwin-breaks-record-as-india-crush-sri-lanka-in-2nd-test-25259" target="_blank">spinner Ravichandran Ashwin penned history</a>&nbsp;by becoming the quickest bowler to collect 300 Test wickets in 54 matches, two shy of Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee&#39;s who held the record previously.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-announces-his-engagement-to-actress-meghan-markle-25254" target="_blank">Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle</a></p>

<p>It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry&#39;s father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/12-afghan-soldiers-killed-in-attack-by-taliban-25258" target="_blank">12 Afghan soldiers killed in attack by Taliban</a></p>

<p>Twelve Afghan&nbsp;soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban in Nimroz province, reports said. Afghan news agencies reported district governor of Khashrood in Nimroz said the blast occurred due to a&nbsp;roadside bomb. No group has taken responsibility for the attack.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ivanka-trump-in-india-mum-about-working-conditions-of-employees-25249" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump in India, mum about working conditions of employees</a></p>

<p>The American president&#39;s daughter, who is a White House adviser, will be in the country to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-nia-submits-100-page-report-on-hadiya-25262" target="_blank">Kerala &#39;love jihad&#39;: I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court</a></p>

<p>The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be&nbsp;taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The next hearing of the case&nbsp;has been postponed the next hearing for&nbsp;the third week of January.&nbsp;</p>


After bagging quickest 300 Test wickets, Ashwin eyes 'super 600' As India beat Sri Lanka by an inning and 239 runs in the Nagpur test today, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin penned history by becoming the quickest bowler to collect 300 Test wickets in 54 matches, two shy of Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee's who held the record previously. Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry's father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday. 12 Afghan soldiers killed in attack by Taliban Twelve Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban in Nimroz province, reports said. Afghan news agencies reported district governor of Khashrood in Nimroz said the blast occurred due to a roadside bomb. No group has taken responsibility for the attack. Ivanka Trump in India, mum about working conditions of employees The American president's daughter, who is a White House adviser, will be in the country to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power. Kerala 'love jihad': I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The next hearing of the case has been postponed the next hearing for the third week of January.

WION Evening News Brief, November 27

<p>The Supreme Court has adjourned the Kerala &quot;love jihad&quot; case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Monday, the case was conducted in the presence of Chief Justice of India Deepak Misra.</p>

<p>During the hearing today, Hadiya told the Supreme Court that she wants her freedom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She added&nbsp;that she wanted to continue with her studies but not on &quot;state expense&quot;. She said she will study further only when her husband can take care of her.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&#39;Do you want to continue your studies on state&#39;s expense?&#39; asks CJI. Hadiya replied &#39;I want to but not on state&#39;s expense when my husband can take care of me&#39;</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935110527218458624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be&nbsp;taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The National Investigating Agency had submitted a 100- page probe report to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-hadiya-to-present-her-side-of-story-before-supreme-court-bench-today-25218" target="_blank">Supreme Court in the &quot;love jihad&quot; </a>case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kapil Sibal appearing on behalf of Hadiya&#39;s husband Shafi Jahan told the Supreme Court that the court should &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/love-jihad-case-woman-says-she-wants-to-be-with-husband-25120" target="_blank">listen to Hadiya and not the NIA</a>&quot;.&nbsp;He said that Hadiya is entitled to make decisions of her life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further&nbsp;said, &quot;instead of asking Hadiya on what she wants, we are talking about the venom filled in news channels.&quot;</p>

<p>The counsel for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hadiyas-statements-cannot-be-taken-at-face-value-fathers-lawyer-25176" target="_blank">Hadiya&#39;s father</a> in Supreme Court, on the other hand, said that first the&nbsp;matter submitted&nbsp;by&nbsp;NIA should be looked into first.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added&nbsp;that&nbsp;there is an &quot;operational&nbsp;apparatus&nbsp;existing for&nbsp;conversion&quot;.</p>

<p>Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>The NIA, which is probing the case has alleged that Hadiya was &quot;indoctrinated&quot;&nbsp;and she may be incapable of &quot;giving free consent to her marriage.&quot;</p>

<p>The NIA had said there was a &quot;well-oiled machinery working in Kerala that has indoctrinated and radicalised her.&quot;</p>

<p>A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had asked Hadiya&#39;s father&#39;s advocate to ensure she is produced before them to ascertain whether she had married of her own free will.</p>

<p>Earlier the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-all-love-marriages-are-love-jihads-observes-kerala-high-court-22629" target="_blank">Kerala High&nbsp;C</a>ourt had struck down Hadiya and Shafin&#39;s marriage, calling it a &quot;sham&quot;.</p>

<p>The husband later approached the Supreme Court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Supreme Court has postponed the next hearing for&nbsp;the third week of January.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The counsel for Hadiya's father in Supreme Court, on the other hand, said that first the?matter submitted?by?NIA should be looked upon and Hadiya should be?talked?regarding that.?He also said that?there is an 'operational?apparatus?existing for?conversion'

The Supreme Court has adjourned the Kerala "love jihad" case. On Monday, the case was conducted in the presence of Chief Justice of India Deepak Misra. During the hearing today, Hadiya told the Supreme Court that she wants her freedom. She added that she wanted to continue with her studies but not on "state expense". She said she will study further only when her husband can take care of her. 'Do you want to continue your studies on state's expense?' asks CJI. Hadiya replied 'I want to but not on state's expense when my husband can take care of me' — ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2017 × The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The National Investigating Agency had submitted a 100- page probe report to the Supreme Court in the "love jihad" case. Kapil Sibal appearing on behalf of Hadiya's husband Shafi Jahan told the Supreme Court that the court should "listen to Hadiya and not the NIA". He said that Hadiya is entitled to make decisions of her life. He further said, "instead of asking Hadiya on what she wants, we are talking about the venom filled in news channels." The counsel for Hadiya's father in Supreme Court, on the other hand, said that first the matter submitted by NIA should be looked into first. He added that there is an "operational apparatus existing for conversion". Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan. The NIA, which is probing the case has alleged that Hadiya was "indoctrinated" and she may be incapable of "giving free consent to her marriage." The NIA had said there was a "well-oiled machinery working in Kerala that has indoctrinated and radicalised her." A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had asked Hadiya's father's advocate to ensure she is produced before them to ascertain whether she had married of her own free will. Earlier the Kerala High Court had struck down Hadiya and Shafin's marriage, calling it a "sham". The husband later approached the Supreme Court. Supreme Court has postponed the next hearing for the third week of January.

Kerala 'love jihad': I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court

<p>A day after Kerala girl Hadiya said that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/love-jihad-case-woman-says-she-wants-to-be-with-husband-25120">nobody forced her to convert to Islam </a>and that she wanted to be with her husband, her father KM Ashokan&#39;s lawyer said that whatever she said &quot;could not be accepted at face value&quot;.</p>

<p>The lawyer said that Hadiya&#39;s behaviour with her family was not normal and what she told the press yesterday could not be taken as &quot;her own free comments&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;What Hadiya is saying cannot be accepted at its face value because she was made to say so, and that is our impression. Her behaviour with her family was not normal. Whatever she has said to the media cannot be taken as her own free comments,&quot; the lawyer told ANI.</p>

<p>Hadiya will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in the &quot;love jihad&quot; case.</p>

<p>&quot;I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert,&quot; shouted Hadiya as she was rushed by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security.</p>

<p>Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case has alleged that Hadiya was indoctrinated and she may be incapable of giving free consent to her marriage.</p>

<p>The NIA had said there was a well-oiled machinery working in Kerala that was indoctrinating and radicalising society in the state.</p>

<p>As many as 89 cases of similar nature have been reported from the southern state, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, who is representing the NIA, told the top court.</p>

<p>Advocate Shyam Divan, representing Hadiya&#39;s father KM Ashokan, claimed that Shafin Jahan was radicalised and several organisations like the Popular Front of India were involved in the radicalisation of society.</p>

<p>Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, counsel for Shafin Jahan, had opposed the NIA&#39;s submission and that of the woman&#39;s father.</p>

<p>A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, had asked Hadiya&#39;s father&#39;s advocate to ensure she is produced before them to ascertain whether she had married of her own free will.</p>

<p>On October 7, the Kerala government told the Supreme Court that its police conducted a &quot;thorough investigation&quot; into Hadiya&#39;s conversion and subsequent marriage to Shafin Jahan and did not find material warranting the transfer of probe to the NIA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shafin Jahan had on September 20 approached the Supreme Court seeking recall of its August 16 order, directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of Hadiya&#39;s alleged conversion and marriage.</p>

<p>He had moved the Supreme Court after the Kerala high court annulled his marriage, saying it was an insult to the independence of women in the country.</p>


The lawyer said that Hadiya's behaviour with her family was not normal and what she told the press yesterday could not be taken as 'her own free comments'

A day after Kerala girl Hadiya said that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband, her father KM Ashokan's lawyer said that whatever she said "could not be accepted at face value". The lawyer said that Hadiya's behaviour with her family was not normal and what she told the press yesterday could not be taken as "her own free comments". "What Hadiya is saying cannot be accepted at its face value because she was made to say so, and that is our impression. Her behaviour with her family was not normal. Whatever she has said to the media cannot be taken as her own free comments," the lawyer told ANI. Hadiya will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in the "love jihad" case. "I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert," shouted Hadiya as she was rushed by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security. Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case has alleged that Hadiya was indoctrinated and she may be incapable of giving free consent to her marriage. The NIA had said there was a well-oiled machinery working in Kerala that was indoctrinating and radicalising society in the state. As many as 89 cases of similar nature have been reported from the southern state, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, who is representing the NIA, told the top court. Advocate Shyam Divan, representing Hadiya's father KM Ashokan, claimed that Shafin Jahan was radicalised and several organisations like the Popular Front of India were involved in the radicalisation of society. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, counsel for Shafin Jahan, had opposed the NIA's submission and that of the woman's father. A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, had asked Hadiya's father's advocate to ensure she is produced before them to ascertain whether she had married of her own free will. On October 7, the Kerala government told the Supreme Court that its police conducted a "thorough investigation" into Hadiya's conversion and subsequent marriage to Shafin Jahan and did not find material warranting the transfer of probe to the NIA. Shafin Jahan had on September 20 approached the Supreme Court seeking recall of its August 16 order, directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of Hadiya's alleged conversion and marriage. He had moved the Supreme Court after the Kerala high court annulled his marriage, saying it was an insult to the independence of women in the country.

Hadiya's statements cannot be taken at face value: Father's lawyer

<p>Kerala woman Hadiya, who will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in an alleged case of &quot;love jihad&quot;, said on Saturday that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband.<br />
<br />
&quot;I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert,&quot; shouted Hadiya as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security.</p>

<p>Hadiya and her parents are likely to stay at the Kerala House in New Delhi, sources told PTI. (Also Read -<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/love-jihad-sheffin-claims-attempts-made-to-reconvert-hadiya-to-hinduism-25108"> &#39;Love jihad&#39;: Sheffin claims attempts made to reconvert Hadiya to Hinduism</a>)</p>

<p>Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case has alleged that Hadiya was indoctrinated and she may be incapable of giving free consent to her marriage.</p>

<p>Represented by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, the NIA had said there was a well-oiled machinery working in Kerala that was indoctrinating and radicalising society in the state.</p>

<p>As many as 89 cases of similar nature have been reported from the southern state, the ASG had said.</p>

<p>It was alleged that Hadiya was recruited by the Islamic State&#39;s mission in Syria and Shafin Jahan was only a stooge.</p>

<p>Advocate Shyam Divan, representing Hadiya&#39;s father KM Ashokan, claimed that Shafin Jahan was radicalised and several organisations like the Popular Front of India were involved in the radicalisation of society.</p>

<p>Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, counsel for Shafin Jahan, had opposed the NIA&#39;s submission and that of the woman&#39;s father.</p>

<p>A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, had asked Hadiya&#39;s father&#39;s advocate to ensure she is produced before them to ascertain whether she had married of her own free will.</p>

<p>On October 7, the Kerala government told the Supreme Court that its police conducted a &quot;thorough investigation&quot; into Hadiya&#39;s conversion and subsequent marriage to Shafin Jahan and did not find material warranting the transfer of probe to the NIA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shafin Jahan had on September 20 approached the Supreme Court seeking recall of its August 16 order, directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of Hadiya&#39;s alleged conversion and marriage.</p>

<p>He had moved the Supreme Court after the Kerala high court annulled his marriage, saying it was an insult to the independence of women in the country.</p>


'I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert,' shouted Hadiya as she was being taken inside the airport

Kerala woman Hadiya, who will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in an alleged case of "love jihad", said on Saturday that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband. "I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert," shouted Hadiya as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security. Hadiya and her parents are likely to stay at the Kerala House in New Delhi, sources told PTI. (Also Read - 'Love jihad': Sheffin claims attempts made to reconvert Hadiya to Hinduism) Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case has alleged that Hadiya was indoctrinated and she may be incapable of giving free consent to her marriage. Represented by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, the NIA had said there was a well-oiled machinery working in Kerala that was indoctrinating and radicalising society in the state. As many as 89 cases of similar nature have been reported from the southern state, the ASG had said. It was alleged that Hadiya was recruited by the Islamic State's mission in Syria and Shafin Jahan was only a stooge. Advocate Shyam Divan, representing Hadiya's father KM Ashokan, claimed that Shafin Jahan was radicalised and several organisations like the Popular Front of India were involved in the radicalisation of society. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, counsel for Shafin Jahan, had opposed the NIA's submission and that of the woman's father. A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, had asked Hadiya's father's advocate to ensure she is produced before them to ascertain whether she had married of her own free will. On October 7, the Kerala government told the Supreme Court that its police conducted a "thorough investigation" into Hadiya's conversion and subsequent marriage to Shafin Jahan and did not find material warranting the transfer of probe to the NIA. Shafin Jahan had on September 20 approached the Supreme Court seeking recall of its August 16 order, directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of Hadiya's alleged conversion and marriage. He had moved the Supreme Court after the Kerala high court annulled his marriage, saying it was an insult to the independence of women in the country.

'Love jihad': Nobody forced me to convert, says Hadiya

<p>Sheffin Jahan, husband of Hadiya on Saturday filed a complaint with the Kottayam police stating that attempts are being made to reconvert his wife to Hinduism ahead of her appearance in the Supreme Court on Monday.</p>

<p>Sheffin claimed that his wife was counseled by a religious teacher for over three hours on Thursday.</p>

<p>Earlier on November 23, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) submitted a status report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court in connection with the case.</p>

<p>Hadiya will appear in the top court on Monday.</p>

<p>The 24-year-old has been in the headlines after she became a Muslim following her marriage to Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>As of now, Hadiya is with her parents, who have alleged that her marriage to a Muslim man is a case of &#39;love jihad&#39;.</p>

<p>The case is under the consideration of the apex court, which had ordered the NIA to look into it.</p>

<p>On September 16, Jahan filed a plea in the Supreme Court and requested to call off the NIA probe, alleging that the investigation agency &quot;is not being fair&quot;.</p>


Sheffin claimed that his wife Hadiya was counseled by a religious teacher for over three hours on Thursday

Sheffin Jahan, husband of Hadiya on Saturday filed a complaint with the Kottayam police stating that attempts are being made to reconvert his wife to Hinduism ahead of her appearance in the Supreme Court on Monday. Sheffin claimed that his wife was counseled by a religious teacher for over three hours on Thursday. Earlier on November 23, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) submitted a status report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court in connection with the case. Hadiya will appear in the top court on Monday. The 24-year-old has been in the headlines after she became a Muslim following her marriage to Shafin Jahan. As of now, Hadiya is with her parents, who have alleged that her marriage to a Muslim man is a case of 'love jihad'. The case is under the consideration of the apex court, which had ordered the NIA to look into it. On September 16, Jahan filed a plea in the Supreme Court and requested to call off the NIA probe, alleging that the investigation agency "is not being fair".

'Love jihad': Sheffin claims attempts made to reconvert Hadiya to Hinduism

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violent-threats-not-acceptable-in-democracy-venkaiah-naidu-on-padmavati-row-25098">Violent threats not acceptable in democracy: Venkaiah Naidu on &#39;Padmavati&#39; row</a></p>

<p>In the middle of the protests against the film &quot;Padmavati&quot;, comes Vice President Venkaiah Naidu&#39;s statement that giving violent threats and announcing rewards for physical harm is not acceptable in a democracy.The vice president, who was speaking at a literary festival in New Delhi, referred to the bounty that was offered for killing the film&#39;s actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said one could not give violent threats and undermine the rule of law.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-dead-body-of-army-soldier-found-police-investigates-25086">Territorial-army jawan&#39;s bullet-ridden body found in Jammu and Kashmir village</a></p>

<p>The bullet-ridden dead body of a 23-year-old Territorial-army jawan, Irfan Ahmad Dar, was found in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was a resident of Saazan village and posted at Guruz. He was in engineering regiment of the Territorial Army.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/policeman-dead-over-100-injured-as-islamist-sit-in-paralyses-islamabad-25091">One dead, over 100 injured as Islamist sit-in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/policeman-dead-over-100-injured-as-islamist-sit-in-paralyses-islamabad-25091">paralyses</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/policeman-dead-over-100-injured-as-islamist-sit-in-paralyses-islamabad-25091"> Islamabad</a></p>

<p>A policeman was killed and over 100 people wounded as Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas in a bid to disperse an Islamist sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country&#39;s capital for weeks.</p>

<p>Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/love-jihad-case-woman-says-she-wants-to-be-with-husband-25120">&#39;Love jihad&#39;: Nobody forced me to convert, says Hadiya</a></p>

<p>Kerala woman Hadiya, who will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in an alleged case of &quot;love jihad&quot;, said on Saturday that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband.</p>

<p>&quot;I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert,&quot; shouted Hadiya as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-no-shooting-for-15-minutes-across-india-tomorrow-25112">&#39;Padmavati&#39; row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow</a></p>

<p>Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s controversial film &quot;Padmavati&quot;.</p>


Violent threats not acceptable in democracy: Venkaiah Naidu on 'Padmavati' row In the middle of the protests against the film "Padmavati", comes Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's statement that giving violent threats and announcing rewards for physical harm is not acceptable in a democracy.The vice president, who was speaking at a literary festival in New Delhi, referred to the bounty that was offered for killing the film's actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said one could not give violent threats and undermine the rule of law. Territorial-army jawan's bullet-ridden body found in Jammu and Kashmir village The bullet-ridden dead body of a 23-year-old Territorial-army jawan, Irfan Ahmad Dar, was found in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning. He was a resident of Saazan village and posted at Guruz. He was in engineering regiment of the Territorial Army. One dead, over 100 injured as Islamist sit-in paralyses Islamabad A policeman was killed and over 100 people wounded as Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas in a bid to disperse an Islamist sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country's capital for weeks. Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn. 'Love jihad': Nobody forced me to convert, says Hadiya Kerala woman Hadiya, who will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in an alleged case of "love jihad", said on Saturday that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband. "I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert," shouted Hadiya as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security. 'Padmavati' row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film "Padmavati".

WION evening news brief, November 25, 2017

<p>A former model accused her husband&nbsp;of physically abusing her for not giving&nbsp;into his demand for converting to Islamism.</p>

<p>The ex-model, Rashmi, residing in Mumbai said that her husband,&nbsp;Asif Shahbazkar, has been torturing and forcing her to convert to Islam for the past couple of years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shahbazkar,&nbsp;who has married another&nbsp;Hindu woman half her age after giving in to his demand to convert to Islam, has now asked Rashmi to leave the house, reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;He is now trying to evict me from our marital home. I am facing a serious threat to my life,&rdquo; she told.</p>

<p>&quot;I am a Hindu. I didn&#39;t give into his pressures,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>A case has been registered against the model&#39;s husband and his second wife by the Bandra Police. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Rashmi married in 2005 and gave birth to their son in 2010.</p>


Shahbazkar,?who has married another?Hindu woman half her age after giving in to his demand to convert to Islam, has now asked Rashmi to leave the house

A former model accused her husband of physically abusing her for not giving into his demand for converting to Islamism. The ex-model, Rashmi, residing in Mumbai said that her husband, Asif Shahbazkar, has been torturing and forcing her to convert to Islam for the past couple of years. Shahbazkar, who has married another Hindu woman half her age after giving in to his demand to convert to Islam, has now asked Rashmi to leave the house, reports said. “He is now trying to evict me from our marital home. I am facing a serious threat to my life,” she told. "I am a Hindu. I didn't give into his pressures," she added. A case has been registered against the model's husband and his second wife by the Bandra Police. Rashmi married in 2005 and gave birth to their son in 2010.

Man booked for forcing first wife to convert to Islam

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