YSR Congress directly challenges BJP-RSS over ‘Love Jihad

Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and a sitting Member of Parliament, has issued a direct challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the contentious issue of ‘love jihad’.

Speaking at a press conference in Amravati, Maharashtra, Owaisi demanded transparency from the central government regarding the legal basis and actual scope of the term. He stated, “Under the BJP-led central government over the past eleven years, how many cases of ‘love jihad’ have been officially recorded? The statistics and the legal definition of this term must be presented before the people of India.”

Owaisi emphasised that while the BJP has repeatedly used the ‘love jihad’ narrative to gain political leverage across several states, the issue has no clear legal grounding in Indian law. He argued that politicising private relationships under the guise of cultural or religious concerns undermines both civil liberties and constitutional rights.

The statement comes in response to recent remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. At a programme in Bhopal, Bhagwat suggested that incidents akin to ‘love jihad’ occur when families fail to discuss religion and culture with their children. Addressing this, Owaisi countered firmly, asserting, “Every adult citizen of India has the absolute right to choose their life partner. No individual or ideology has the authority to interfere in personal choices or relationships.”

Owaisi further accused the BJP and RSS of deliberately foregrounding divisive issues like ‘love jihad’ to distract public attention from pressing national challenges, such as unemployment and the ongoing tensions along the India-China border in Ladakh. He urged the government to prioritise solving real problems over infringing on citizens’ constitutional freedoms.

For clarity, the following table summarises Owaisi’s key points and concerns regarding the ‘love jihad’ discourse:

Through these remarks, Owaisi reinforced AIMIM’s stance that national attention should focus on substantive governance and citizens’ rights rather than polarising debates that threaten social cohesion.