Congress, NCP to corner saffron combine on 'Love Jihad'

Shiv Sena says its a conspiracy to destroy Hindu culture

Ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress party (NCP) combine has decided to corner the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance on the controversial Love Jihad issue in the run up to the assembly election in Maharashtra.

Even when both the parties have yet to arrive at a seat sharing arrangement for the assembly poll, Congress and NCP are stepping up their attack against the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance on Love Jihad issue indicating that their priority will be to maintain communal and social fabric in Maharashtra.

Their aggressive posture comes at a time when BJP leader and union home minister Rajnath Singh last week has disowned Love Jihad theory propogated by Swami Adityanath.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who will lead the Congress party in the assembly poll, has attacked the saffron alliance for its deliberate attempt to create religious tension and facilitate electoral success. Chavan said attempts are being made by the opposition to use their "success formula" of creating religious divide just before the elections.

On the other, NCP leader and the minister of public works department Chhagan Bhujbal alleged that the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was bent on to pursue communal agenda by raking up Love Jihad. Bhujbal, who comes from other backward community, told Business Standard ''NCP will make all efforts to foil saffron alliance's attempts to divide the society on communal lines. BJP leaders like Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are married to Hindu women. It is a 'Love Jihad'.Further, Hindu men have married Muslim women. Whether that should be now called 'Love Sanatan?'

Curiously, Swami Adityanath received a major support from Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray who observed that Love Jihad is an international conspiracy to destroy the Hindu culture. "Hindus in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are angry about this issue and he (Adityanath) is voicing their anger. Those who have called for this kind of jihad should be taught a lesson,'' he said.

Further, Thackeray alleged that terrorist organizations across the world have called for jihad against Hindustan and their aim is to destroy the secular fabric of the country. Thackeray hinted that his party will aggressively campaign against Love Jihad during the assembly poll.

However, state BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis down played the controversy and announced that Maha Yuti, after comes to power in Maharashtra, will bring good governance by following Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's growth model.