"1 lakh cases claimed, 402 complaints' received: SP MLA Rais Shaikh demands scrapping of govt’s ‘Love Jihad’ committee

Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh brought attention to the Maharashtra 'Interfaith Marriage Family Coordination Committee,' stating that it has received only 402 complaints since its formation a year ago. The committee, established on December 13, 2022, by former state Women and Child Development (WCD) minister Manga Prabhat Lodha, ostensibly aimed to track cases of 'Love Jihad.'

Shaikh, who obtained this data through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed with the WCD department, has now called for the scrapping of the committee in light of the information. The SP MLA expressed concern over the significant discrepancy between the committee's formation and the number of complaints received.

"Lodha had claimed that there were more than one lakh cases of love jihad in the state. However, I have received information under RTI that the Committee has received only 402 complaints so far. These complaints do not just pertain to two particular communities but other communities as well," Shaikh highlighted in letters addressed to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and WCD Minister Aditi Tatkare.

Shaikh further alleged that the committee's establishment by the then WCD minister Lodha was driven by an intention to defame the minority community, create discord between communities, and intentionally harass a particular community. He emphasized the importance of dismantling the committee, given the misleading claims made by the previous WCD minister.

Moreover, Shaikh has sought clarity on the factual status of 'Love Jihad' cases in the Legislative Assembly, writing to Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. He pointed out the contradiction between Lodha's statement in the legislature on March 8, 2023, claiming one lakh cases of Love Jihad, and the information provided through RTI, which showed no complaints received by March 20, 2023.

"The then WCD Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha made a false, baseless, and misleading statement in the House. Hence, the government should clarify the facts in the House in this matter," Shaikh asserted in his letter to Narwekar.