Uttarakhand: HC to hear plea against 'mahapanchayat' called by Hindu groups to address rise in love jihad cases

As cases of Love Jihad witness a rise in Uttarakhand, Hindu outfits in the hilly state have called for a ‘mahapanchayat’ to address the issue.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court will hear a plea against the mahapanchayat on Thursday. The mass gathering has forced local authorities to impose prohibitory orders in the region.

This comes after the Supreme Court refused to hear a plea against the mahapanchayat on Wednesday. The plea was filed by the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights in fear of communal tensions in the state.

In protest against the imposition of section 144, which bars assembly of people, local trade bodies called for a bandh in Uttarkashi district, in which Purola falls, on Thursday.

The mahapanchayat is scheduled to be held on 15 June.

Meanwhile, members of various Hindu groups have slammed the efforts made by local bodies to bar the mahapanchayat from taking place.

Bajrang Dal president Anuj Walia said steps being taken to prevent the mahapanchayat are part of a big conspiracy against Hindus.

“The mahapanchayat was to be held peacefully. The administration is protecting jihadis,” Walia said, demanding the removal of Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Rohilla and Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi.

“The administration is acting under the pressure of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi,” he added.

CM Dhami orders strict action against love jihad

Last week, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered police officers to take “stern action” against people trying to do ‘love jihad’ in the state.

His comments came after he chaired a high-level meeting with senior police officers. “People of different faiths co-exist peacefully in Uttarakhand but things like love jihad will not be tolerated. Crimes like these were being committed as part of a conspiracy. But people are coming out openly against them now,” Dhami told reporters.

He added that the meeting was held to take feedback from the police on steps taken in connection with “love jihad” incidents reported recently from different parts of the state.

In the past few weeks, Haridwar, Chamoli and Uttarkashi have witnessed nearly half a dozen incidents of attempted abduction of minor Hindu girls by Muslim men who hid their religious identity to befriend them.

Dhami said the number of people coming out in the open against “love jihad” reflects a growing awareness about crimes of this nature.

“Awareness about love jihad is growing. That is why more such incidents have come to the fore over the past two-three months. One reason for this is the introduction of a severe anti-conversion law,” the Chief Minister said.

With inputs from agencies

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