Neha murder not ‘love jihad’, says Siddu

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted that the murder of the daughter of a Congress corporator in Hubballi a few days ago was not a case of “love jihad”.

Neha Hiremath, the daughter of Niranjan, was stabbed by one Fayaz Khondunaik, a former classmate of the slain girl.

The incident, which was caught on CCTV cameras, occurred in the evening in the BVB College campus in Hubballi where Neha studied Masters of Computer Applications (MCA). Fayaz has been arrested.

The BJP has projected the case as “love jihad”, a phrase coined by the Hindutvawadis, who allege that it is a phenomenon wherein Muslim men prey on Hindu women with malicious intent.

However, others dismiss it as a fiction and point out that the Hindutvawadis regard consensual relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women as “love jihad”.

“It was not love jihad. I condemn the Neha murder. We have arrested the accused immediately. We are investigating it seriously. We are trying to give strict punishment to the perpetrator,” Siddaramaiah said.

The CM also pushed back against the Opposition’s allegation that law and order was breaking down in Karnataka under Congress rule.

“Such incidents have happened in the past as well. It’s not true that we are not taking law and order seriously. We have taken it very seriously. The kind of peace in Karnataka is not seen in other states,” he said.

“They are politicizing the incident. This is unfortunate,"he added.