Political parties flay move to include topics like 'love jihad' in BJP's UP meet

Expressing concern over the inclusion of topics like 'love jihad' in Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Uttar Pradesh meet, political leaders have said that these things are been done to divert the minds of people from other issues.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Tariq Anwar told ANI, "Prime Minister Modi promised many things during the elections but now they are not being done. Now in order to divert the minds of people from these things they are taking all these issues. The nation understands everything and I think this plan of BJP will not be successful."

Criticizing the move, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Ali Anwar went a step further demanding reservation in jobs for those who marry outside their castes.

He said, "Love is such a thing which is beyond religion, caste, creed or border. The Sangh family and the BJP want riots. They want to disturb the condition of whole country. Using these things for communal polarization is not right. I would say that those who will do inter caste and inter religion marriages; they should be given reservation in jobs also."

According to reports, issues of 'love jihad' and conversion of Hindus have been included in the BJP's two-day meeting in Uttar Pradesh after an RSS outfit called Dharma Jagran Manch called for a front against 'love jihad', which refers to Muslim men marrying Hindu girls and allegedly making them convert to Islam.