Hindutva groups, especially, Bajrang Dal and VHP, used it publicly on a regular basis, targeting Muslims.
1. Any inter-religious relationship in which the groom was Muslim and the bride was Hindu, was termed 'Love Jihad'.
2. The term was used so often that many people started to believe the theory that Muslim youths were 'trapping' Hindu girls.
3. A sting operation by Cobrapost revealed that it was a conspiracy to defame Muslims, split inter-religious couples, fan communalism, spread hatred against Muslims and polarise society on religious lines.
4. This sting operation was conducted over a period of several months and the Cobrapost reporters caught BJP, VHP leaders on camera, that how this nefarious conspiracy was hatched and was going on, across the country.
5. The videos were made available along with other evidence at the press conference. However, the media didn't give proper attention to this shocking expose. Perhaps, the reason was that the BJP government is at the helm at the Centre.
6. But, imagine, how serious is the expose, that members of the party that rules the world's biggest democracy, were involved in the false 'Love Jihad' project, which was apparently planned to corner, defame and demonise Muslims.
7. Doesn't this case require a high-level investigation? But the problem is that probe agencies work under the Centre, and their disinterest in probing other cases in which right-wing or Sangh Parivar elements are involved, suggests what will happen even if an investigation is launched.
8. After the expose, courts needed to have been approached for action against these conspirators. But nothing happened. There was absolute silence. Newspapers, TV channels, mostly ignored the story. Was it too explosive?
Across the length and breadth of India, the right-wing extremists were propounding the Love Jihad theory.
9. When they found an inter-religious couple, they put pressure on girl, her family, used their influence in police and like-minded lawyers, to file cases.
10. The strategy was that the girl was blackmailed, pressurised, even drugged, to quit the relationship [marriage]. The youth was implicated in abduction case and other cases were also slapped on him to ruin his life.
11. Such organised plot at the national level? And yet, there is no seriousness about it? This was a nationwide project to de-stabilise the communal harmony of the country. It was also used to defame 200 million Muslims of India.
And, it is just one of the projects. Muslims don't slaughter cows but they are being blamed and demonised in systematic campaign. Such campaigns continue through out the year. This is hurting not just Muslims, but also Hindus and the entire country.
12. Azam Khan recently said that he would approach United Nations (UN) over atrocities on Muslims. He was mocked it. May be, Khan, was reckless. You may not agree with him. But what do you do, when organised groups that are now part of government, plot such crimes?
This is systematic persecution, a hate-campaign. This must be known across the country and the world. And, organisations involved in it, should be brought to books. Cobrapost-Gulail deserve a salute for exposing the nefarious plans of the Sangh Parivar's allied organisations.
LINK
*Cobrapost investigation, read, watch videos: Busting the bogey of Love Jihad
