Karnataka to initiate probe into 'love jihad'

Expressing grave concern over the luring of teenaged girls under the guise of 'love jihad", the Karnataka government on Friday said it would initiate a probe into the matter. Love jihad refers to the incidents of young non-Muslim girls allegedly being lured into marriage and then converted to Islam.

When some ruling Bharatiya Janata Party members in the state Assembly drew the attention of government to incidents of love jihad, which, they said, were on the rise in parts of coastal districts, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar said "it is a grave issue and should be viewed seriously". "The issue should not be viewed through political angle. One should understand the penury of parents of the girls who fall into such trap. It is an alarming development," he said.

Kumar said he would discuss the matter with the Home Minister R Ashok and request him to order a probe. Mallika Prasad of the BJP, who raised the issue during zero hour, said 84 girls have been reported missing in Dakshina

Kannada district from this June to November of whom only 69 have been traced. "What happened to the fate of those who remained untraced,," she asked.

Under the guise of love and marriage, young girls were being lured and sold, she said. Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat of the BJP said this year 64 girls went missing in Udupi district and only 42 have been traced. He alleged that the drug mafia was also involved in this racket and that several girls had committed suicide.

Bhat said that police have been threatening those who inform them about alleged conversion and wanted government to look into the issue.