New Delhi (Agency): Bhupen Bora, the president of the Congress’s Assam unit, issued an apology on Friday for making a controversial comparison between the ‘love jihad’ concept and Lord Krishna’s relationship with Rukmini. His comments were in response to a recent triple murder case in Golaghat.
In the Golaghat incident, a 25-year-old man killed his wife and her parents due to family disputes, then turned himself in to the police. Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that the case was an instance of ‘love jihad’, as the husband was Muslim and the wife was Hindu.
Reacting to the Chief Minister’s claims, Bora stated, “All is fair in love and war. There are many stories in our ancient texts, including Krishna eloping with Rukmini, and the chief minister should not harp about marriages between people of different religions and communities in today’s age.” This comment was heavily criticized by Sarma, who warned that Bora could face arrest if a police case was filed against him.
After the backlash, Bora apologized, explaining that he had a dream in which his grandfather indicated that his comments were incorrect and had upset the people of the state. “I have, therefore, decided to offer an earthen lamp and betel leaf and areca nut at a ‘namghar’ (Vaishnavite prayer hall) and seek forgiveness from the lord,” he stated. He clarified that he is not doing this out of fear of the Chief Minister or the BJP, but because he feels that he has hurt the people and the Sattradhikars (Vaishnav spiritual heads).
Despite BJP’s claims that he should not be allowed in ‘namghars’, Bora argued that the Chief Minister should instead “ask the police to kill me in an encounter.” He voiced readiness to sacrifice his life, insisting that he should not be barred from attending the prayer hall.
In the meantime, the BJP’s youth wing, BJYM, has filed police complaints against Bora across all the districts of the state. Nihar Ranjan Sharma, Guwahati city BYJM president, lodged a complaint at the Pan Bazaar police station, stating that Bora had offended Hindu sentiments. Sharma suggested that Bora made his controversial statement due to concerns about the uncertain future of his party.
The Chief Minister criticized Bora’s comments, stating, “We do not want to take the step of arresting people but if Lord Krishna is dragged into controversy, several ‘sanatani’ people will file cases in police stations and then how will I stop the police from taking action?”
The term ‘love jihad’ is used predominantly by right-wing groups to allege a strategy by Muslim men to coerce Hindu women into changing their religion through marriage.
