JAIPUR: In a small town in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, an unusual love story has sparked off tension. On July 1, a 17-year-old Hindu girl disappeared from her school with her Muslim lady teacher. Following allegations by Hindutva groups that it was a case of 'love jihad', a heavy police force has been deployed in the town to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, the BJP attacked the government on the issue.
However, both individuals took to social media to release a video on Monday night, confessing that they are in a lesbian relationship and had willingly left their homes to be together. They also urged people not to indulge in communal riots and requested their parents to accept the relationship.
The sudden disappearance of the minor girl in Sri Dungargarh town sent shockwaves through the area. The girl's relatives held a female teacher from the school, the school administration and the teacher's family responsible for her disappearance. The girl's father alleged that the accused teacher and her daughter were captured on CCTV at Jaipur railway station on Sunday, two days after the incident.
The last sighting of the girl was on platform number 1 of the railway station. Consequently, this incident became intertwined with "love jihad', leading the family, hundreds of locals and the opposition BJP to organise protests against the Gehlot government. The area witnessed the closure of markets and escalating communal tensions.
The situation intensified further due to an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bikaner on July 8. As a result, several prominent leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore, have set up camp in Bikaner, fiercely criticising the Gehlot government for the incident.
In the video, the student can be heard stating, "We have learned that riots are unfolding in Dungargarh. You may believe that she (the female teacher) or her family members have lured me into this situation, but that is not true. I swear, we deeply love each other. I am not naïve enough to fall for their persuasion. We are lesbians and cannot marry anyone else, which is why we made the decision to leave our homes. We cannot bear to be apart. If you catch us, our lives will be ruined."
Simultaneously, the 22-year-old teacher appeals to the public, saying, "I did not entice her into this situation. We came here of our own free will. Please refrain from inciting unnecessary riots. If I have done nothing wrong, then why are you mistreating my family? We are safe and cautious. We will continue to be happy in the future, so please allow us to be."
Nevertheless, the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. As the girl is a 17-year-old minor, the Rajasthan State Child Rights Protection Commission has taken note of the incident. Sangeeta Beniwal, President of the Commission, stated, "We received information through various news sources. Following this, we gathered details of the incident from the Bikaner Superintendent of Police. Instructions have been issued to expedite the investigation and provide the commission's office with an accurate report of the facts."