Union Minister Giriraj Singh. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Reacting to remarks made recently by Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), in Amaravati, Maharashtra that the Central government should provide all records of instances of “love jihad” from all the States “in Parliament”, Union Textile Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh on Tuesday (January 6, 2025) accused Mr. Owaisi of promoting a ”jihadi mindset”.
“AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi promotes a jihadi mindset. The data on ‘love jihad‘ should be addressed in Hyderabad first, where the AIMIM holds political influence,” Mr. Singh, MP from Begusarai in Bihar said, addressing media persons in Patna.
Mr. Owaisi had called for “concrete data”. “If adults are making their own decision, then our likes and dislikes don’t matter. If ‘love jihad’ is happening, present concrete data collected from all States where you claim such cases exist, in Parliament,” the AIMIM leader had said.
The issue of ‘love jihad’ went “beyond personal relationships”, Mr. Singh said, alleging it was a part of a “well-hatched conspiracy”. “This is not ‘love jihad’ in the name of love, it is a planned ghazwa-e-hind (’raid of India’). No matter how many conspiracies are being hatched, India will not be Partitioned again,” Mr. Singh said.
The AIMIM leader’s political ideology was “rooted in divisive thinking”, the BJP leader said, adding, “If the ghost of Jinnah has entered into anyone in India, it will not succeed.”
Earlier, Mr. Singh had condemned the slogans allegedly raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah by students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in New Delhi. “JNU these days has become camp office of the tukde-tukde (pieces) gang. Those who support Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are traitors and cases must be lodged against them for being anti-national,” Mr. Singh said, adding, “Individuals with anti-national mindset, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and leaders from parties like the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), TMC (Trinamool Congress) and Left groups are supporting such activities.” “Nationalism will eventually triumph over divisive ideologies,” Mr. Singh said, evoking Swami Vivekananda.
Published – January 06, 2026 08:54 pm IST
