Marriage registered days after it was forcibly stopped; We want to live together, will follow our own practices: Karnataka interfaith couple

An interfaith couple, who were forcibly stopped from getting married by members of the Bajrang Dal at a sub-registrar’s office in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru on Wednesday, have countered allegations of ‘love jihad’, saying they were getting married for love and had no plans for any religious conversion. Their marriage was eventually registered on Friday.

The Bajrang Dal members on Wednesday stopped the registration of Jaffar and Chaitra’s marriage, claiming it was a case of so-called ‘love jihad’. Amid the chaos that ensued, police had to intervene to ensure the security of the couple.

Jaffar, 24, who works as a driver and also helps his father with his timber business, told The Indian Express, “I and Chaitra are neighbours and we have been friends from childhood. We know each other very well and three years ago, our love relationship started. But that doesn’t mean she is going to change religion. We want to live together and will follow our own practices. We did not expect that we would be attacked that day. Both families were happy about our marriage. Though the marriage has been registered now, under the present circumstances, we do not know when and where to hold a wedding event to invite out friends and family.”