Guwahati: Bhupen Borah, Assam unit Congress chief, has issued a public apology for his controversial comments drawing a parallel between 'love jihad' and Lord Krishna's relationship with Rukmini.
The remark came in response to a triple murder case in Golaghat, where a 25-year-old man killed his Hindu wife and her parents, leading to accusations of 'love jihad' by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Borah stated, "All is fair in love and war. There are many stories in our ancient texts, including Krishna eloping with Rukmini, and the chief minister should not harp about marriages between people of different religions and communities in today's age."
However, Borah's comment drew sharp criticism from Chief Minister Sarma, who threatened possible arrest if a police case was filed against the Congress leader. Subsequently, Bhupen Borah expressed regret and revealed a dream that influenced his decision to apologize. He said, "In a dream last night, my grandfather told me that the statement was wrong, and it has hurt the people of the state."
To seek forgiveness, Borah has planned to make an offering at a 'namghar,' a Vaishnavite prayer hall. He stated, "I will do this not because I am scared of the chief minister or the BJP, but as the people and the Sattradhikars (Vaishnav spiritual heads) have been hurt."
Reacting to the BJP's demand that he should not be allowed in 'namghars,' the Congress leader responded defiantly, saying, "The chief minister should rather ask the police to kill me in an encounter. I am ready to sacrifice my life, and my family will not file any case, but I should not be stopped from going to the prayer hall."
In the aftermath of Bhupen Borah's comments, the BJP's youth wing, BJYM, has filed police complaints against him in all districts of the state. The Guwahati city BJYM president, Nihar Ranjan Sharma, accused Borah of hurting the sentiments of Hindus and suggested that the remarks might have been driven by fear about the future of the Congress party.
Chief Minister Sarma had previously condemned Borah's remarks, asserting that 'love jihad' was a situation where a girl is forced to marry after changing her religion, which was not the case with Krishna and Rukmini.
'Love jihad' is a term used by right-wing groups to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.
The situation remains tense as the political and religious communities continue to react to the controversy sparked by the Congress leader's comments.
With inputs from PTI