Rajasthan Chief Minister Claims Love Jihad "Ended", Sparks Political Row

The issue of ‘love jihad' has entered the political narrative surrounding Rajasthan's civic body elections, with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma making a strong claim during an election campaign event in Jaipur.

Addressing a roadshow in support of BJP candidates, Sharma claimed that his government had “ended the problem of love jihad” in Jaipur and across Rajasthan.

The Chief Minister's statement came as voting was underway in the first phase of the state's civic elections. Elections are being held in 162 urban local bodies in the first phase, while campaigning for the Jaipur Municipal Corporation and other bodies going to polls in the second phase is reaching its final stage.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's Roadshow In Jaipur

Sharma held a mega roadshow in Jaipur on the final day of campaigning for the second phase of the civic elections. During the campaign, he highlighted the work done by his government over the past two-and-a-half years and appealed to voters to support BJP candidates.

The Chief Minister said that his government had worked to rid Jaipur and Rajasthan of the problem of “love jihad”. He said such incidents used to take place during the Gehlot government, but his government brought in a law against religious conversion. He said the government had also introduced the Disturbed Areas Bill for those who were allegedly being forced to move out of Jaipur's walled city.

“Therefore, no one needs to be afraid now. If anyone still harasses the common people, that person will be sent to jail,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the Gehlot government had created two municipal corporations each in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota on the basis of “appeasement”. He said his government merged them back into a single municipal corporation in all three cities, demonstrating that there should be one municipal corporation for one city.

He said Congress leaders used to claim that even his “uncle” would not be able to implement “One State, One Election”. “Now they can see that their so-called uncle is the one conducting these elections,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajasthan has been continuously moving ahead in the race for development for the past two-and-a-half years.

“Works that had not been completed in Rajasthan for 40-50 years have been undertaken during our two-and-a-half-year tenure, and the state has also gained momentum in development,” he said.

He said his government had worked to ensure water availability across Rajasthan. He cited the Ramjal Setu Link Project and the Yamuna water agreement, besides allocating Rs 5,500 crore for the Indira Gandhi Canal and Gang Canal. He said work was also underway on the Rs 10,500-crore Dewas Project, Rs 4,500-crore Som-Kamla-Amba Project, Rs 4,500-crore Mahi Dam Project and Rs 2,500-crore Brahmani River Project.

On power generation, Sharma said Rajasthan is now a surplus state. He claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government generated 3,900 MW of electricity, while his government has generated 12,000 MW in two-and-a-half years.

“Rajasthan is moving from being a power-consuming state to becoming a power-supplying state,” he said.

On employment, the Chief Minister said Congress leaders had claimed that the BJP government would not be able to provide jobs to the youth.

“But within two-and-a-half years, we have issued 1.89 lakh appointment letters. The recruitment process for 1.22 lakh posts is underway, while vacancies for 70,000 posts have been announced,” he said.

Sharma said the Congress was becoming uncomfortable because of the work done by his government in two-and-a-half years. He claimed that when the government presented its two-year performance report in the Assembly, the Leader of the Opposition and the Congress state president walked out of the House during the debate on “two years versus five years”.

He alleged that Congress leaders had no answers because “they spent five years staying in hotels and did not do any work”. He further accused the Congress of pursuing the politics of “loot and lies”, claiming that some officials and ministers associated with the previous government are now in jail.

On paper leaks, Sharma said several examination papers were leaked during the Congress government, but after the BJP came to power, more than 600 people allegedly linked to paper leaks were sent to jail.

“Around 450 examinations have been conducted in two-and-a-half years, but not a single paper has been leaked,” he claimed.

Referring to former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Sharma said, “The police are the same, and the administration is the same. Let Ashok Gehlot explain what he did when he was in power.”

He accused the Congress of repeatedly misleading people over the ERCP and the Yamuna water project and alleged that the previous government kept these projects pending. He also said that while the Congress brought only around five kilometres of metro connectivity, his government has brought more than 41 kilometres of metro work, which he said would strengthen Jaipur's traffic and transportation system.

The Chief Minister said that every work suggested by elected representatives and BJP workers would be taken up.

“We remain continuously among the people and listen to their concerns,” he said.

He said that once the “triple engine” of municipal and panchayat bodies is added to the BJP's “double-engine government”, urban and rural local bodies would become stronger and development would accelerate.

“This will help realise the dream of a developed Jaipur, a developed Rajasthan and a developed India. Therefore, I appeal to the people to elect the BJP in every local body across Rajasthan,” Sharma said.

Rajasthan's Law On Religious Conversion

The Rajasthan government has enacted the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025, aimed at dealing with forced, fraudulent or unlawful religious conversions.

The law provides for stringent punishment in cases involving unlawful conversion, including provisions for imprisonment of up to 20 years or life imprisonment in serious cases. It also provides for legal action in cases where a marriage is alleged to have been undertaken for the purpose of unlawful religious conversion.

The legislation lays down a procedure for voluntary religious conversion, including prior intimation to the district administration. It also contains provisions dealing with mass or unlawful religious conversions.

‘Love Jihad' Becomes A Political Issue

The Chief Minister's remarks have brought the contentious term ‘love jihad' into the civic election discourse at a time when the first phase of voting is underway.

The BJP has been campaigning on issues including the state government's performance, law and order and development, while the Congress has been attacking the government over its record on governance and local issues.

With Jaipur going to polls in the second phase, Mr Sharma's remarks could become part of the political debate during the final hours of campaigning. The Congress's response to the Chief Minister's statement will also be closely watched.