Shivraj Singh Chouhan has claimed that the proposed law in the state against the so-called “love jihad” — he did not use the term directly but alluded to it as being popularly prevalent now — is akin to a “Beti Bachao Andolan”, a campaign that sought to prevent female foeticide.
Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the CM — who took over the seat of power in Bhopal for the fourth time earlier this year — said: “Many things have opened our eyes. A mother came to me and said how her 14-year-old daughter was misled and taken away. Our police found her in Noorganj near the Nepal border… There are many such cases where women and girls have been subjected to coercion, allurement, deception and fraud. I have set up a team to investigate how many of our daughters have been taken away like this and pushed to a life of hell.”
“We need a strong law with strong punishment to protect the lives of our daughters and send a message to those who engage in this to fear the law…This is actually a beti bachao andolan,” he said. Asked about how this went against the principle of allowing women to exercise their agency, he said there are no objections if it is done willingly.
Opposition leaders and legal scholars have criticised the proposed legislation — Uttar Pradesh has already passed a similar law and cases under it are being registered — for violating personal liberty and deepening religious divisions.
Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill hit back, saying: “When unemployment is at 45-year high, one in three MSME is closing down, China has illegally crossed Line of Actual Control and farmers are sitting in protest, the BJP instead of working hard on solutions is busy drafting laws to prevent “love jihad”… In 1954, the Congress enacted the Special Marriage Act providing for marriage between two adults irrespective of caste and religion. And in 2020, the BJP is introducing laws to prohibit interfaith marriage to fulfil 1950 dream of the RSS of demolishing the Constitution, chaining freedom and crushing women rights.”
