Love jihad: UP high court seeks response from Centre, state and EC

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court on Thursday asked the central and state governments and the Election Commission to file responses to the public interest litigation filed by a local lawyer seeking action action against BJP leaders who are allegedly using 'love jihad' to instigate communal passions.

A division bench comprising Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh took the matter seriously and fixed next date of hearing on September 15 when additional advocate general Bulbul Godiyal sought time for seeking instructions from the state government to file a reply.

The PIL has been filed by a local lawayer Ashok Pande who has demanded ban on campaigning by BJP MPs Yogi Adityanath and Kalraj Mishra in the byelection for 11 assembly constituencies and a Lok Sabha seat scheduled on September 13.

He said that Yogi and Mishra are making allegations of 'love jihad' against a particular community without producing any evidence, which is vitiating communal atmosphere of the state and will lead to polarization in bypoll.

Mishra is also union minister and Yogi is incharge of BJP's campaign for by elections. The BJP and Sangh Parivar has been accusing Muslims of indulging in Love Jihad, which they claim is a 'holy war' waged by Muslim youth to lure Hindu girls and forcing them to adopt Islam after marriage. The term has also been used in cases of rape where accused is a Muslim and victim a Hindu.

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