'Love-jihad' row: Allahabad High Court issues notice to Centre, Uttar Pradesh government

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Centre and Uttar Pradesh Government following a plea that sought action against BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Kalraj Mishra vis-à-vis the 'love jihad' issue.

The high court has also sought a reply from the Election Commission of India.

Reacting cautiously to the notice, BJP MP Sambit Patra told ANI, "All the problem in UP is due to the selective secularism by the 'Saifai' socialists. The law and order situation of Uttar Pradesh is dismal and that is why there is a sense of unhappiness not only in the people but also the court has taken a note of it."

"The UP Government should take a note of this and should improve its ways and means," he added.

CPI (M) leader and women's rights activist Annie Raja, however, expressed relief over the notice. "It's a very relieving fact that the Allahabad HC has taken note of it. If you look at the issue in different states where the elections are supposed to be held in the coming months, in all those places the right wing fascists are trying to create an atmosphere of communal tension by using the word 'love jihad'," Raja said.

"It's high time the governments of the respective states should take immediate action and see that by using such terms and issues, the peaceful atmosphere should not be spoiled and communal tension should not be created," she added.