Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday refused to comment on a video that showed him asking his supporters to marry girls of another community. This undated video elicited strong criticism within the BJP fold as well.
“I don't want to make any clarification on the issue. It is the responsibility of media to examine a video before showing it,” he said.
The controversy began after the Gorakhpur MP was caught on camera in an undated video addressing his supporters and saying that if members of a community convert a girl of another community, then at least 100 girls of their community should be converted.
This is not the first time that Adityanath had stirred controversy. While addressing the Parliament on the issue of Communal Violence Bill, he had accused the opposition Congress of working at the behest of Pakistan. He is currently facing charges of inciting communal tension in Gorakhpur in 2007.
Also read: Husband of national champion shooter Tara Shahdeo arrested for alleged torture and 'forcing her to convert to Islam'
BJP regrets raking up the issue:
According to reports, some politicians within the party are calling it a self-goal for BJP. And more than one party leader admits it was a mistake raking up the issue of "Love Jihad" in politically sensitive state of Uttar Pradesh.
Several leaders now say that Uttar Pradesh party president Laxmikant Bajpayi went overboard in propagating the concept before the leadership in New Delhi gently pulled up the state unit. With byelections due September 13 for 11 assembly seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party was a divided house when its state executive met in Vrindavan.
Party sources say while it is fine to consolidate Hindu votes, one must be careful raking up issues that can communally polarise the state, and in the process alienate the politically uncommitted Hindu.
On the first day of the Vrindavan meet, party leaders upped the ante on "Love Jihad" - allegation by Hindu outfits that Muslims marry Hindu women and then force them to embrace Islam. BJP leaders like Vinay Katiyar and Bajpayi discussed and debated the topic in the party forum and insisted it should figure in the political resolution.
Union minister Kalraj Mishra, who represented BJP president Amit Shah at Vrindavan, played along and appeared to be convinced that the slogan was a vote-catcher. The tempo was scaled down only after a nudge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders trained their guns on the BJP, accusing it of spreading communal poison.
BJP leaders now blame Bajpayi for being "overzealous" in public utterances. "Bajpayi has a penchant for melodramatic words in public discourse which should be avoided at all costs because they harm the party's prospects," a party leader told IANS.
Added another leader: "This 'Love Jihad' is a non-issue. It will have no takers outside the fringe."
Others pointed out that the BJP won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in May while harping on issues of good governance and economic development. "Going overboard communally can lead to reverse polarisation," a party leader said, adding that worried Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh would then rally behind one strong non-BJP party in every constituency.
A state executive member from western Uttar Pradesh pointed out that a woman party leader had herself embraced Islam to marry an already married man years ago. Both are from Bollywood. While the state unit of the BJP continues to claim that there is increasing sexual assaults on Hindu women by members of another community, the "Love Jihad" concept has gone underground.
It will be left to groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal to take up the issue. On its part, the BJP will focus on development as it trains its guns on the ruling Samajwadi Party.
As the issue gained traction, people expressed varied opinions:
With agency inputs
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