In ‘ love jihad’ reversal, Hindu girl wants lover to convert for marriage

■ Graduate had earlier eloped with man, found in Bikaner

So far, the “love jihad” debate has centered around Hindu girls being lured by Muslim boys and converted to Islam, but in Jodhpur a young girl wants to change the trend.

20- year- old Pooja Joshi, a graduate who fell in love with 23- year- old Mohsin who has studied till Class 5 and drives a taxi wants him to change his religion if he wants to marry her.

Following a missing complaint from her family, Pooja who had eloped with Mohsin on Sunday was found in Bikaner and brought back to Jodhpur by the police where members of Hindu organisations protested outside police station. They alleged it was a case of

“love jihad”.

However, Pooja reportedly told the magistrate that she wasn’t taken away forcibly and would marry Mohsin once he converted to Hinduism. Her parents pleaded her to return home but the girl flatly refused saying that she would wait for Mohsin at her cousin’s place till he converted to Hinduism. Mohsin too refused to go back home.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan high court on Wednesday concluded hearing an earlier case of religious conversion and reserved its judgment. Although, the court had allowed Payal alias Arifa to go with her husband early this month, but it continued hearing of the matter concerning religious conversion for the purpose of marriage.

The court had expressed reservation about religious conversion on the basis of mere affidavit on a stamppaper. It had inquired the government if there was any guideline. The court had also appointed am amicus curie in this case who argued that religious conversion for the sake of an inter- religious marriage was illegal and unlawful and cannot be conducted merely by submitting an affidavit.

During the hearing, the state additional advocate general, S. K. Vyas, told the court that the Rajasthan Religious freedom Bill was passed in 2008 and pending for the President’s approval.

◗ The girl reportedly told the magistrate that she wasn’t taken away forcibly and would marry her lover once he converted to Hinduism ◗ Her parents pleaded her to return home but the girl refused saying that she would wait for him at her cousin’s place till he converted to Hinduism