‘Marriage is a matter of personal liberty, bringing a law to curb it is completely unconstitutional. Jihad has no place in Love.’

JAIPUR — While several BJP-ruled states are planning to bring in laws to curb the alleged cases of ‘love jihad’, a strong statement has come from a Congress-ruled state against the so-called menace.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that ‘love-jihad’ is a term manufactured by the BJP to divide the nation. “Marriage is a matter of personal liberty and bringing a law to curb it is completely unconstitutional,” he tweeted on Friday.

Gehlot’s statement has come the same day when a news from Lucknow says the Home Department of Uttar Pradesh has sent a proposal to the Department of Law to work out the legal modalities for a law against ‘love jihad’. The Yogi Adityanath government is likely to issue an ordinance in this regard.

Gehlot has unleashed a series of tweets to express his thoughts on ‘love-jihad’ to say, “Love Jihad is a word manufactured by BJP to divide the Nation & disturb communal harmony. Marriage is a matter of personal liberty, bringing a law to curb it is completely unconstitutional & it will not stand in any court of law. Jihad has no place in Love.”

In the second tweet, he said, “They are creating an environment in the nation where consenting adults would be at the mercy of state power. Marriage is a personal decision & they are putting curbs on it, which is like snatching away personal liberty.”

In the third tweet on ‘love-jihad’, he said, “It seems a ploy to disrupt communal harmony, fuel social conflict & disregard constitutional provisions like the state not discriminating against citizens on any ground.

Besides, UP, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh also plans a law against ‘love jihad’.

Chouhan’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra has said non-bailable charges would be applicable in cases of ‘love jihad’ in Madhya Pradesh.

“We are making preparations to introduce Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020 in Assembly. It will provide for 5 years of rigorous imprisonment. We are also proposing that such crimes be declared a cognizable and non-bailable offence,” Narottam Mishra said recently.