A reception party in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh after an Indian-American couple had an interfaith wedding in the US has been forced to cancel due to “threats of counter-protests” from extremist groups, officials said on Monday. The couple got married last March and it was registered under the Special Marriage Act at an Indian consulate in the US.
His relatives said he had planned to host a reception for family members and friends at a hotel here on Saturday. After the invitation letter for this reception was published on social media, he faced strong opposition from two different factions of the Bajrang Bal, the All India Karni Sena and some BJP leaders.
These organizations announced on December 12 that they would protest against the event and reportedly pressured hotel management to cancel bookings. The extremist organizations also contacted Additional District Magistrate (City) Amit Kumar while strongly opposing the event. They submitted a joint memorandum signed by former Aligarh mayor Shakuntala Bharti and All India Karni Sena president Thakur Gyanendra Singh Chauhan, warning that the reception could lead to unrest.
Citing alleged mistreatment of Hindus in Bangladesh and the recent violence in Sambhal and Bahraich, the petition said the event could disrupt peace in the city. Chauhan said the wedding was a ‘clear case of love jihad’ and his organization would strongly oppose the celebration. The hotel management said that it will follow the directions of the district authorities in this matter.
Meanwhile, the top officials of the district held discussions on December 13, but both the families decided to cancel the event on their own citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’. The couple belong to well-known families and are highly educated and skilled professionals. Family sources said that after initial resistance, both the families agreed to the marriage. He refused to comment on the latest case and requested not to reveal his identity. -News-Patiala
