Unaffected by allegations of fomenting communal polarisation in the State, the Uttar Pradesh BJP passed a political resolution to fight against what the party termed were rising incidents of crime against Hindu women at a meeting in Vrindavan (Mathura) over the weekend.
Although the political resolution does not mention ‘love jihad’, a term used to emphasise Muslim male sexual advances towards “innocent” Hindu girls with a view to convert them to Islam, the State leaders made enough noise about it in the run-up to the meeting.
The BJP’s State unit president Laxmi Kant Bajpai has accused the ruling Samajwadi Party of “protecting and shielding” the “love jihadis”.
However, the political resolution stressed on the administration’s response to the growing incidents of violence against women without mentioning the term ‘love jihad’.
According to the BJP’s national secretary Shrikant Sharma, it is wrong to twist the party’s concern about the prevailing law and order situation in general and violence against women in particular.
“The State unit discussed ways to take the State from its prevailing chaos to order and good governance, the new membership drive that is going to be launched and how the MPs will use their development funds on the lines of the blueprint given by the Prime Minister.
“The party is concerned about deteriorating law and order situation in the State where the administration and the police show a clear bias towards a certain community. This concern is reflected in the political resolution.
“We don’t use the terms that are being bandied about by the media,” Sharma told BusinessLine .
Sober voiceBut Sharma’s is a rare sober voice. Others in the party have been more explicit.
Vinay Katiyar, head of the Bajrang Dal during the Ram-Janmabhoomi movement, now espouses the cause of love jihad with equal vigour.
“Love jihad is on. If one goes to the depth of the incidents of communal clashes which are happening, we find they try to befriend girls from one community. If the attempts fail, they don't just rape but even kill the girl. This is what happened in Amaniganj in Faizabad,” he said.
The State is headed for yet another bout of by-polls in the parliamentary constituency of Mainpuri and 10 more Assembly seats next month.
By-polls will be held on September 13 in the Mainpuri parliamentary constituency and also in Saharanpur, Bijnore, Thakurdwara, Noida, Lucknow (east), Nighasan, Hamirpur, Charkhari, Sirathu, Balha and Rohaniya Assembly seats.
Communal mindsetAccording to BSP chief Mayawati, who held a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday, the BJP’s three-month rule at the Centre “has proved that the party has a communal mindset”.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party hit out at the BJP.
“When under the law adults are free to choose partners then how is it jihad?,” asked SP leader Naresh Agarwal.
He taunted the BJP for choosing the phrase ‘love jihad’, saying it is not clear from where they have borrowed the idea.