Youths who have inter-religious marriages and have inter-religious relationships are leaving Uttar Pradesh and moving to other states for fear of arrest.
TOI has spoken to some such lovers and married couples, who fear that they will be harassed in the state in the name of alleged love jihad and conversion law.
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A Muslim youth who loves a Hindu woman told the newspaper, “People of right wing organization were following me in Uttar Pradesh. Now both of us will go out of UP and get married. I will adopt Hinduism and we will seek protection from court.
“When my parents came to know about our relationship, they took out the SIM from my phone, tortured me and threatened to kill my boyfriend,” said a young woman who loves a Muslim youth.
He told, “Both of us ran away to Delhi and we asked for protection from the court. I don’t think we will ever go back.”
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The newspaper writes that the stringent conversion law of Uttar Pradesh has increased fears about inter-religious relationships.
Earlier In Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, the police stopped the marriage of a couple and kept them in the police station overnight and left in the morning when it was proved that both are Muslims. The police had received a complaint that a Muslim youth is converting and marrying a Hindu girl while carrying out ‘Love Jihad’.
As soon as the information was received about the case, the police reached the spot and stopped the wedding. However, later it became clear that the boys and girls who married were Muslims. Hyder Ali, 39, alleged that the police took him to the police station and beat him with a belt.
ALSO READ: Love jihad’ rumour: UP Police stops Muslim couple from marrying
However, the couple got married when the girl’s brother from Azamgarh came and told the police that the girl wanted to marry her choice and the girl’s family members had no objection. In fact, the girl’s relatives had reported the girl’s disappearance in Azamgarh as the girl had left her home.
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