Indore Congress councillor booked for religious conversion conspiracy; BJP alleges 'love jihad'

Indore: A Congress councillor in Indore in Madhya Pradesh was booked for allegedly indulging in a conspiracy to carry out religious conversion through monetary considerations, a police official said on Monday.

Congress councillor Anwar Qadri's name came up after the arrest of two persons Sahil Sheikh and Altaf Shah in separate cases, Banganga police station in charge Siyaram Gurjar told reporters.

"Sheikh and Shah were held for raping two women on the pretext of love. They were also charged with other offences. The duo told police Qadri had given them Rs 3 lakh to convert women after trapping them in relationships. The two said they had spent money on this purpose," Gurjar informed.

Based on this, Qadri was booked for alleged involvement in conspiracy to convert women through the use of money and efforts are on to nab him, he added.

Meanwhile, BJP city unit president Sumit Mishra accused Qadri of operating a "love jihad gang".

"Love jihad" is a term used by right-wing outfits to allege that Muslim men are luring women into relationships to marry them and get them to convert to Islam.

"Qadri is operating a love jihad gang. We want police to conduct a detailed probe and arrest him under National Security Act. His property details and gun licences must also be investigated," Mishra said.

The Congress is yet to issue any official statement on the case against Qadri.