BJP bunches love jihad, appeasement politics as part of its core agenda

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been seen targeting its opposition parties by making Muslim appeasement and 'love jihad' part of its core agenda.

New Delhi: Campaign for the Gujarat Assembly polls and elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is underway in full swing.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been seen targeting its opposition parties by making Muslim appeasement and ‘love jihad’ part of its core agenda.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is attempting to make the contest in Gujarat triangular, where the main competition is expected between the Congress and the BJP.

In the MCD elections, the Congress is trying hard to find its lost ground in the contest between the BJP and AAP.

Love jihad is one of the topics in the agenda of the organisations associated with the Sangh Parivar, along with the saffron party.

During campaigning, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma demanded strict laws against love jihad, describing the murder of Shraddha Walkar as a big issue regarding safety of women.

Sarma went on to say that a killer like ‘Aaftab Amin Poonawalla’ exists in every city and stressed on the need to enact strong laws against love jihad to ensure women’s safety.

Sarma tried to send a message to the voters that only a strong BJP government could protect them from crimes.

Home Minister Amit Shah has also been seen fiercely targeting the Congress over appeasement politics. Addressing an election rally in Gujarat, Shah praised the actions of the Bhupendra Patel-led government, namely the removal of ‘illegal’ tombs and ‘fake’ graves.

He was all praise for the Patel-led government for freeing the area from encroachment and curbing smuggling.

He asked the public whether the fake tombs and graves should be removed. He stated that the state’s BJP unit would continue such cleanliness drives.

While claiming to make Gujarat a curfew-free state, Shah accused the Congress of promoting criminals and anti-social elements.

All the BJP leaders engaged in campaigning have been accusing the Congress and the AAP of appeasement of a particular community.

Describing the murder of Shraddha Walkar as unfortunate, Union minister Giriraj Singh alleged that the conspiracy of love jihad was being run under a mission in India.

While questioning the silence of some leaders and their parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad on love jihad, Singh urged the citizens to think about the issue.

Releasing the party’s manifesto for the Gujarat Assembly elections on Saturday, BJP President J.P. Nadda promised to ensure full implementation of the recommendations of the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Committee, i.e., to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state.

Nadda went a step further and promised to set up anti-radicalisation cells to identify and eliminate potential threats, terrorist organisations and sleeper cells after winning the polls in the state.

Organisations like Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Muslim Rashtriya Manch associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have been strongly criticising love jihad and are planning to hold public awareness campaigns to create a system of culture and security in houses across the country.