Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the Congress leader dragging Lord Krishna into the issue. (file)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that equating Lord Krishna and Rukmini's relationship to so-called "Love Jihad" by Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah is unfortunate, and the government will take action against him if a complaint is filed.
Mr Borah, reacting to the Chief Minister's comment that the recent triple murder in Assam's Golaghat was a case of "Love Jihad", a term often used by right-wing politicians to allege a campaign by Muslim men to convert Hindu women by seducing them, courted controversy for calling the marriages of Lord Krishna and Rukmini, and Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, in the epic Mahabharata, "Love Jihad" as well.
"There has been cross marriages going on since history, even among Kings since Mahabharata (sic). The main story in Mahabharata is that Gandhari's family didn't want her to marry Dhritarashtra. Bhisma Pitamah forced the marriage between them. Shakuni's brother was imprisoned, and later the mama took revenge. That is also love jihad. Gandhari's family objected, and as such she wore a cloth over her eyes. When Krishna came to take Rukmini, Arjun came in a different roop," Mr Borah said.
Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the Congress leader dragging Lord Krishna into the issue. "It is against Sanatan Dharma, it is against Hindu Dharma," he said, adding that he requests Mr Borah not to bring up Lord Krishna in the controversy like "we shouldn't drag Hajrat Mohammad or Jesus Christ" into any religious controversy.
"Secondly, what is love jihad? When a girl is married by false identity and is forced to change her religion after marriage. Lord Krishna never asked Rukmini to change her religion. If someone files a case, we will have to arrest the person who has said that," Mr Sarma said, without naming Mr Borah.
25-year-old Nazibur Rahman Bora on Wednesday murdered his 24-year-old wife, Sanghamitra Ghosh, and her parents, before surrendering to police with their nine-month-old baby in his arms.
Himanta Biswa Sarma meets family members of the victims of the triple murder case, in Golaghat on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
"It is a total case of love jihad. The deceased family was Hindu and the accused belongs to the Muslim community. He first introduced himself with a Hindu name on Facebook... the woman learnt to use drugs when the couple had escaped to Kolkata," Mr Sarma said during his visit to the family of the victims.