Assam marriage bill will check 'Love Jihad’ of all kinds: CM Sarma
“Love jihad doesn’t only mean a Muslim cheating a Hindu. It could happen among Hindus as well. If a Hindu boy uses dubious means to entrap and marry a Hindu girl that is also a form of ‘love jihad’,” Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an event to mark completion of two months of his government.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that the proposed legislation, under which the bride and groom will have to disclose their religion and income in official documents a month before the wedding, aims at curbing the menace of ‘love jihad’ and will encompass all communities.
“Love jihad doesn’t only mean a Muslim cheating a Hindu. It could happen among Hindus as well. If a Hindu boy uses dubious means to entrap and marry a Hindu girl that is also a form of ‘love jihad’,” Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an event to mark completion of two months of his government.
“Love jihad” is a term used by right-wing activists to describe relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, but one that the courts and the Union government do not officially recognise. Several activists and legal experts argue that such laws could be used to target Muslims and infringe on the fundamental rights to equality, freedom of religion, and life and personal liberty.
“We won’t like to use the term ‘love jihad’, but dubious means or cheating to entrap and marry a girl shouldn’t be done by Hindus too. We will act against such frauds. The law won’t be only against Muslims. No girl or woman should be exploited in that manner,” the CM added.
