Uttar Pradesh BJP drops 'love jihad' from resolution

After breathing fire over ‘love jihad’, BJP dropped any mention of it in the political resolution at its two-day state executive meet that concluded here on Sunday.

‘Love Jihad’ (marriage between a Muslim man and a Hindu woman), especially in the western parts of Uttar Pradesh, had been taken up by BJP as a big challenge ahead of the Assembly elections three years hence as part of its moves to consolidate the party base in the state.

In his inaugural address on  Saturday, state party chief Laxmikant Bajpai had asked youths to be vigilant on the issue of “love jihad”, questioning whether men of the minority community have got the licence to convert and rape women of majority community.

However, interestingly, the political resolution passed on Sunday did not have any reference to “love jihad”.

When asked why the resolution was silent on “love jihad”, Bajpai, when contacted, said, “It was not on the agenda, so there is no question of having it in the resolution.”

After its grand performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, where it bagged 71 of the 80 seats, BJP asked its workers to strengthen the organisation from the booth level so that it can come to power in the state with thumping majority.

It asked partymen to launch a people’s movement against “complete anarchy and lawlessness” and oppose “communal appeasement and crumbling law and order”.