ROW ERUPTS OVER INTERFAITH MARRIAGE IN RAJASTHAN

JAIPUR: An interfaith marriage has triggered a row in Rajasthan’s Bikaner with the family of the woman alleging attempts of forced conversion, while the police debunked the claim by posting a video of the woman who is purportedly heard saying that she married of her own accord.

The controversy erupted after an 18-year-old Hindu woman married a 21-year-old Muslim man last month, prompting the woman’s family to issue a statement on social media, terming the alliance to be a case of “love jihad”.

While the woman’s father, in his video statement, sought the community’s help in the matter, her grandfather threatened that he would commit suicide with the entire family if no justice is done to them.

The video statement by her family led the woman to issue a statement, asserting that she married the man on her own will on December 10 last year and instead of her converting to the Islam, the man himself has converted to Hinduism.

“All the allegations made by the girl’s family are false. The girl herself has publicly confessed to marrying of her own will,” said Bikaner superintendent of police Priti Chandra.

Meanwhile, Union minister Kailash Chaudhary said the matter of should be investigated properly. “A law against love jihad should be enacted on the lines of Uttar Pradesh,” he tweeted.