Love Jihad: Complain filed against activist for exposing Hadiya’s stand

KOTTAYAM: In a fresh development, a complaint has been lodged by the father of Akhila (Hadiya), who embraced Islam against activist Rahul Easwar for releasing the footage.

Hadiya is now under house arrest after the Kerala HC annulled her marriage with Shafin Jahan and the case being probed by the NIA.

Mr. Ashokan has filed the complaint regarding this with the Vaikom police.

In a 6-page complaint, Ashokan, father of Hadiya alleges that Rahul had cheated them by releasing video and photographs of Hadiya at their residence as a practicing Muslim and was under tremendous pressure.

“He has cheated us. He took the video without our knowledge. What is shown in the video is also not correct,” Ashokan said.

“Being the grandson of Sabariamala thantri (main priest) we gave him some consideration and allowed him to visit us. But we never thought he will become a tool in the hands of fundamentalist outfits” Ashokan said, reported Hindustan Times.

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Rahul denied the allegations and said the video and photographs were taken with the knowledge and consent of the family.

“I went to the house after taking police permission. I took video with their permission. My only intention was to help them,” he said.

On August 17, despite the strict security measures as per a SC order, Rahul visited Akhila Ashokan aka Hadiya at her residence near Kottayam.

He had released a selfie photograph of him, Hadiya in a hijab and Ashokan and mother Ponnamma anlong with a 1 minute 53 seconds video showing Hadiya arguing with her mother.

“Is this how my life should be? She scolds me when I take namaz. Is this how my life should be? Why you are confining me like this? Is keeping me like this fair? ,” Hadiya can be heard asking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6I8jAlVEEI

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24-year-old Hadiya, a homeopath doctor, had testified in the Kerala High Court that she had embraced to Islam in her own volition but her father claims the marriage was forced and was a case of so-called love jihad, a term used by right-wing Hindu groups.