Inter-faith couple face saffron fury

Sangh Parivar activists, including those of the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the ABVP, tried to assault an inter-religious couple in Hapur on Saturday. They arrived outside the house in Devlok Colony where Vidya Shrivastava and Shoaib Alam lived and created a ruckus, while accusing Alam of manipulating Vidya into marriage. The mob started raising slogans.

Vidya and Alam, both residents of Sitamarhi in Bihar, fell in love but their families opposed their relationship. They got married in court early this year and were living in Hapur where Alam has been running a computer training institute. The couple called the police to rescue them from the “harassment” of the Hindutva workers.

When the police tried to take the couple out of the house, the Hindutva activists grappled with them trying to snatch Alam from their custody. The police resorted to a lathi charge.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Baliyan told

The Hindu : “While Vidya’s relatives alleged that Alam had lured her and manipulated her into marriage, she told the police that they had married in court and she was living with Alam willingly.”

“Vidya’s relatives did not even file a report that she was missing or had been kidnapped,” Mr. Baliyan said.

Vijay Pal, MLA, told the media that the girl’s parents reached Hapur and contacted VHP workers, after which they had gone to “rescue” the girl. He alleged that many Hindutva workers were injured in the lathicharge, which SP Hemant Kutiyal denied.