New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena on Monday strongly criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for his remarks targeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over his comments on what is often referred to as "love jihad". They asserted that Owaisi "lacks both moral and political authority" to challenge the RSS chief.

Mohan Bhagwat, while addressing the Stri Shakti Samvad programme in Bhopal, had said that instances commonly described as "love jihad" largely arise due to a lack of dialogue and moral grounding within families. He argued that any serious attempt to prevent such cases must begin at home.

Owaisi, however, questioned both the premise and the terminology used. He said that adults have a legal and constitutional right to choose their partners.

"If 'love jihad' is really happening, then present the data in Parliament. Define the term and show records from the last 11 years," Owaisi said.

Reacting sharply to Owaisi's remarks, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo told IANS, "Owaisi has neither the moral nor the political standing to question RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Love jihad occurs when a Muslim youth or someone from another religion deceives Hindu girls by posing as innocent and even adopting a Hindu name."

He further said that the concept should not be confused with interfaith marriages.

"There is a clear difference between a love marriage and love jihad. In a love marriage, there is freedom to follow one's own religion. Love jihad, however, is when, from the day after marriage, the husband starts pressuring his wife to undergo religious conversion. Love jihad is a bitter truth, and our government is very strict regarding this, and we take stringent action if anything like this happens," Shah Deo added.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC also came out in support of the RSS chief, stating that Bhagwat's remarks were being misinterpreted.

"Mohan Bhagwat says that if we inculcate good value systems in our society, in our family structure, then marriage will stay intact. To do away with other thought processes, we need to have a strong base of ideology, value system and sanskriti sabhyata," she said.

Criticising the AIMIM chief further, Shaina NC said, "Owaisi has misconstrued everything the RSS chief has said. He has asked for data on 'love jihad'. Love jihad is when a boy fools a girl, traps her into matrimony and compromises the institution of marriage."

She added that the issue was not about opposing marriages between consenting adults from different backgrounds.

"And there, you (Owaisi) try to suggest that two consenting adults from different cultural backgrounds cannot be married? Who said that? We are saying that it is wrong for a boy to fool a girl. People from different cultural backgrounds can be married; this is the beauty of unity in diversity," she said.

/IANS