In UP, love jihad back on agenda

After a brief lull, the “love jihad” campaign is back in Uttar Pradesh. The Hindu Jagran Manch which had been spearheading the campaign has now appointed Ajju Chauhan to oversee the campaign in the state. Mr Chauhan, it may be recalled, had been removed from Bajrang Dal after the controversy over love jihad in Agra in 2015. He will hold charge along with Dharam Jagaran chief of Braj region, Rajeshwar.

Mr Chauhan told a select group of journalists that he had been appointed the love jihad UP chief at a workshop held in Aligarh on Sunday.

“Love jihad originated from Kerala, where at one point in time, there were reports of around 4,000 girls who had gone missing. After 600 complaints, the high court in the state took up the matter and used the expression ‘love jihad’. This has now spread to several parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Mr Chauhan said that members of the minority community, in certain cases, pose as Hindus and trap innocent Hindu girls into marriage. After two to three children, most of these boys abandon the girl or even sell them in Gulf countries. He alleged that cases of love jihad had been reported in western UP.

He said that a ‘’love jihad’ sena would soon be set up to ensure that girls are not being trapped. An awareness drive on love jihad was also being planned and will be launched next month.

Mr Chauhan said that each of the 75 districts will have a district chief with a five-member team and helpline is also on the cards as part of the campaign.

Incidentally, the state convenor of the Yuva Vahini, the youth wing of the Hindu Jagran Manch, Avinash Rana also confirmed that a decision has been taken to launch a campaign to campaign Love Jihad.

He said that small groups would also visit schools and make school girls of aware about the ill-intention of youths who have been pressed for the purpose by Jihadis.