Yamunanagar (Haryana): A Muslim man converted to Hinduism before marrying a Hindu woman here. Both the man and his wife have been given police protection here following the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Muslim man had said that he converted on his own free will and was not ready to leave his girlfriend-turned-wife.
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij had last week said the state government has set up a three-member committee to draft a law against ‘love jihad’. It is a term used by BJP leaders to describe religious conversions in the guise of marriage. However, the BJP leaders had said conversion of Hindu girls to Muslim will be scrutinised.
The 21-year-old man has also changed his name. He married the 19-year-old woman November 9 as per Hindu rituals. This information was given Tuesday by Yamunanagar Superintendent of Police, Kamaldeep Goyal.
The couple had approached the high court stating that they feared a threat to their lives and personal liberty from the girl’s family. They also said that opposition to their marriage was a serious abuse of their rights provided under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The police later lodged the duo in a protection home here for several days. They also acted on the high court’s directive to evaluate the threat perception to the couple. The police also met the girl’s family and tried to convince them that the two were legally wedded. They also asserted that the couple should be allowed to live together as per their wish, the SP said.
The girl had earlier declined to meet her family, who during a hearing in the case November 11 expressed the wish of meeting her once, he added.