The issue of love jihad and girls eloping emerged in society after the government announced that 18 years is the minimum legal age...

The issue of love jihad and girls eloping emerged in society after the government announced that 18 years is the minimum legal age for marriage of women, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Agar Malwa, Gopal Parmar, said on Saturday. “Generally, our women are trapped easily with sweet talk and gestures. It is the duty of our mothers to make their daughters, who are closer to them, understand this. I urge mothers to alert their daughters about love jihad),” he added in Hindi.

BJP MLA blames late marriages for love jihad

“Earlier, our elders fixed our marriages in childhood and the marriages lasted longer. But after the government made 18 the legal marriageable age, our girls started eloping and things like love jihad started,” Parmar, 55, said at a function in his constituency to promote skill development. The so-called love jihad is a controversial term coined by fringe groups to describe what they claim is a conspiracy by Muslims to lure Hindus into marriage.

“The government’s idea behind introducing legal age (for the marriage of women) was different, but now some Muslims change their names and cheat Hindu women”, Parmar said. Their minds will not be affected as they would always be conscious of the fact that their marriage is fixed.” Parmar, said “I am not saying solemnize weddings before girls turn 18. I am saying that, at least, family elders fix the marriage so that no one is able to trap girls.