VHP sets up team to tackle ‘Hindu girl-Muslim boy love affairs’ in Dakshina Kannada

Mangaluru, Jan 5: Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party has poised to make so called ‘love jihad’ a prime issue for upcoming Karnataka assembly polls, the Vishva Hindu Parishad, in association with other hardline Hindutva groups, has launched a so called helpline to combat love affairs between Hindu girls and Muslim boys in coastal district of Dakshina Kannada.  

‘Love jihad’ is a term used by anti-Muslim groups, who claim that Muslim men lure Hindu women into relationships and convert them into Islam religion.

“The helpline has already become operational in the district,” said VHP Karnataka Dakshina Prantha joint-secretary Sharan Pumpwell, adding that there are plans to extend it to the entire state in the coming days

“Love jihad-free Hindu society is our objective. It aims at protecting women who are unknowingly falling into the trap of love jihad,” read a poster of the so called helpline with telephone numbers and email address.  The poster is being shared on social media platforms.

“We have shared two mobilephone numbers and an email ID to those in distress to share the details,” he said. The people with information about love jihad cases can dial these numbers to tip off activists.

“After getting information on alleged love jihad, in case of necessity, we will seek police’s help. Otherwise, our team will meet family and speak to the girl who is the victim of love jihad. If needed, the victim will be given counselling by a dedicated team. We have a legal team to fight the cases legally,” Pumpwell said.

All the information will be kept confidential and will not be revealed to public, he said.