‘Love jihad’: Family calls off ceremony after wedding card spewed outrage

Mumbai: They wanted to rejoice in the meeting of two families, two religions and two hearts. But one leaked wedding card shattered the dream.

The family of a 28-year-old girl in Nashik called off their daughter’s Hindu ceremony for marriage with a Muslim man amid protests by the community. The protesters called the marriage ‘love jihad’.

However, their story did not end there.

Even though the function was cancelled, the family members decided to support their daughter. According to them, there were no attempts at forced conversion. Moreover, the marriage had already been recorded by the local court.

Mr. Prasad Adgaonkar, a prominent jeweller and Rasika’s father, said Rasika has a physical disability and the family has had difficulty finding a match for her. Earlier this week, she and Asif Khan, a former classmate, announced their intention to get married. As both the families had known each other for some time, they agreed to the match.

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In May, Adgaonkar said, the marriage was registered at a Nashik court in front of both families. In addition, they agreed that the rituals would be performed on July 18 before she left for her in-laws’ house.

According to the father, the function was to be held at a Nashik hotel in the presence of close relatives. But then, he said, a copy of the invitation card spread on WhatsApp, triggering protests, messages and calls to cancel the function, including from members of ‘stranger’ WhatsApp groups.

Adgaonkar said he was asked to meet community members on July 9. In the meeting, the jeweller was ‘advised’ not to hold the function. ‘There was a great deal of pressure from people of the community, so we decided to cancel the marriage function,’ said another family member. Afterwards, the family notified a local community organization that the ceremony was called off.

The president of the Lad Suvarnakar Sanstha, Nashik, who received the letter, said: ‘We have received a letter from the family informing us that the marriage has been cancelled.’

The man’s family has not been reached for comment. Likewise, the woman’s family has decided not to involve the police in this matter.