Hundreds of members of the BJP and other right-wing organisations on Friday clashed with the police while trying to disrupt an inter-religion marriage in Ghaziabad that was conducted with the consent of both the families.
Calling the inter-faith marriage love jihad, a term popularized by the extreme Hindutva groups, the protestors, led by BJP Ghaziabad city president Ajay Sharma, created a ruckus outside the woman’s home, staged a sit-in protest and disrupted traffic.
According to reports, the boy, a Muslim, is 30, and an MBA who lives in Noida. The girl, a Hindu, is 28, and a doctor of psychology. Both work in MNCs.
The girl's father is a well known businessman from Ghaziabad and her grandfather is a retired IAS officer. The boy's father is a professor at a university in Delhi, whose family is originally from Aligarh.
According to a report by The Times of India, the BJP was joined by Bajrang Dal, Hindu Raksha Dal and Dharam Jagran Manch men to create a ruckus for over five hours, leading to a police lathicharge.
"No religious conversion has taken place as being alleged by these organisations," the report quoted an uncle of the girl. "Both families have known each other for years now. Our children informed us of their decision and we gave our consent.”
According to another report by the Hindustan Times, the bride’s family said that for past two days they had been getting calls from several people asking them to cancel the marriage.
IANS reported that the police later lodged a case at midnight on Friday against the protestors under Sections 147, 148, 336, 341, 427, 353 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.
