On Friday, 18th August 2023, a case of love jihad surfaced in Barwani of Madhya Pradesh. In the Pala Bazar of a Barwani, a Muslim youth was all set to forcibly marry a Hindu girl through Islamic Nikah rituals when the plan was busted as the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad members barged into the house where the marriage was about to take place.
As soon as the news of the wedding was received, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad reached the spot in large numbers shouting slogans. They stopped the marriage. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad caught the Hindu girl and the Muslim boy and handed them over to the police.
There was a ruckus in the city about this matter. After the initial interrogation, the police registered a case against the boy under the provisions of the Freedom of Religion Act. Besides, the accused Muslim youth was booked for rape.
Police say that the sections against the accused will be increased if other facts come out during the investigation. Amidst all this, the police have denied the rumours of stone-pelting and forcible closure of shops in the city. However, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad raised some slogans and recited Hanuman Chalisa after the accused was handed over to the police.
Barwani SP Puneet Gahlod said about this case of love jihad, “Kotwali police had received information that an adult girl was being forcibly married. The police reached the spot as soon as the information was received. Based on the facts that came out after this interrogation, action has been taken against the young man under rape charges and the Freedom of Religion Act. The girl said that the accused also had physical relations with her.”
SP Puneet Gahlod further said, “This is a sensitive matter. There have been some reports in the city that there has been stone pelting between two sides, and shops have been closed. These reports are completely false. The police are fully prepared. There is peace in the city. I appeal to people not to pay heed to rumours. The cyber cell is taking action against those spreading such messages.”
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Divisional Organisation Head Atishay Joshi said, “A young man from the Muslim community was forcibly marrying a Hindu sister. When our team members came to know about it, they handed them over to the police. There is complete peace in the city. Bajrang Dal did not create any controversy. We also did not argue. We caught the young man and handed him over to the police.”
