Mumbai: Hundreds march against ‘love jihad’, demand law against religious conversion – The Indian Express

The Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha, organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj, saw the participation of leaders and workers of right-wing outfits such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The rally began from Shivaji Park in Dadar and culminated at Kamgar Maidan in Parel, covering a distance of more than 4 km.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya seen during the march. (Express photo by Eeshanpriya MS)

Leaders and MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena also participated in the rally. The police was deployed along the route of the march to prevent any untoward incident.

Activists shouted slogans against “love jihad”, and demanded anti-conversion laws. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
Slogans against forced conversion of Hindu women written on placards carried by those participating in the march. (Express photo by Eeshanpriya MS)

“Love jihad” is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

Many supporting the march also protested ‘land jihad’, a term they gave to land grabbing in the name of religion. (Express photo by Eeshanpriya MS)

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said last year that the government would study laws on “love jihad” framed by other states and take an appropriate decision. He had also spoken about a “feeling” in the legislature regarding the Shraddha Walkar case that instances of “love jihad” are seen at a large scale in the state.