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BJP MLAs from Dakshina Kannada wage 'love jihad' in Assembly

[email protected] (CD Network)
December 17, 2011

yogi
Bangalore, December 17: There was chaos in the legislative assembly on Friday with Congress and BJP MLAs from Dakshina Kannada district locked in a heated argument over 'love jihad', a term extensively used by Sangh Parivar to define Muslim youth allegedly loving Hindu girls to convert them to Islam.

At least three influential MLAs from Dakshina Kannada district expressed concern about 'love jihad' and sought government's immediate action to prevent Hindu girls being converted into Islam by Muslim youth after winning their hearts.

However, Bantwal MLA B Ramanath Rai said that BJP MLAs deliberately raising the baseless and sensational issues to disrupt communal harmony in Dakshina Kannada.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Puttur MAL Mallika Prasad accused the government of not taking steps to prevent Hindu girls being attracted towards Muslims and Islam, especially in Dakshina Kannada district. She accused the Muslim youths of converting Hindu girls after winning their heart.

Presenting statistics without any documents or sources, she said that as many as 84 Hindu girls have been missing and 69 of them have confessed to have been lured by Muslim youths who professed love. The worrying factor is that some girls are pushed into the flesh trade, she added.

Sullia MLA S Angara alleged that police booked a case against an elected representative in his assembly constituency when he went to complain about a youth who had eloped with a girl.

Mangalore South MLA Yogish Bhat, who is also the Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly, said, this was a serious matter. He said that this year 64 girls went missing in Udupi district and only 42 have been traced.

Bhat also said that police have been threatening those who inform them about alleged conversion. “The government should take immediate action to stop this”, he said.

Terming 'love jihad' a lie Ramanath Rai expressed concern over moral policing "A few years ago, members of the minority community were beaten by Sangh Parivar cadres for transporting cattle. In some instances, Sangh Parivar have members indulged in moral policing. When there are police and the law and order system, where's the need for moral policing?" asked Rai. Mulky-Moodbidri MLA Abhay Chandra Jain too supported Mr Rai.

However, House leader S Suresh Kumar, upholding the argument of BJP MLAs from Dakshina Kannada said that 'love jihad' is a dangerous trend. "The government will take appropriate action and ask the home department to take measures to curtail it," he said.

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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