UP Governor Anandiben Patel wades into ‘love jihad’ controversy, asks girls to be alert about their security

Apparently referring to ‘love jihad’, she said that some people would try to ‘'lure you (girls) by changing their names and will abandon you once they have achieved their purpose’'

Lucknow: Days after asking the girls to stay away from ‘live-in’ relationships else they might be found in ’50 pieces’, Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday waded into the ‘love jihad’ controversy and cautioned the girls against those who looked for opportunities to go out with them after changing their names.

Speaking at the second convocation ceremony of Raj Mahendra Pratap Singh University at Aligarh, Patel also asked the parents to question the boys if they returned home late at night.

Apparently referring to ‘love jihad’ (Muslim youths luring Hindu girls on false pretenses), she said that some people would try to ‘’lure you (girls) by changing their names and will abandon you once they have achieved their purpose’’

‘’Naam badal kar sair karne ka mauka talashne walon se Vishesh satark rahen,’’ (be more alert from those who change their names and look for opportunities to go on outings), Patel told the girls.

‘’The daughters will have to be more alert about their security,’’ she added.

‘’The parents question their daughters even when they return home by 8 pm but they don’t question their sons even if they come at 12 pm……they will have to change their mentality and question their sons also if they return home late,’’ the governor said.

She also advised the students to shun short cuts and said that they must be ready to work hard for success.

Barely a few days back, the governor had, while speaking at the Convocation ceremony of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth at Varanasi said that there have been many cases of ‘live-in’ relationships these days. ‘’Stay away from live-In relationship…..take decisions about your life carefully…..you must have seen girls in 50-50 pieces,’’ she said.

Patel, while speaking at another Convocation ceremony at a University in Ballia, had said that if one visited an orphanage, one could see the consequences of the live-in relationships. ‘’fifteen to 20 year old girls can be seen standing outside the orphanage carrying one year old children,’’ she had said.