Constitution, secularism only till Hindu majority; after that no courts, LS: Gujarat Dy CM

Addressing an event organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that talks about the Constitution of India, secularism and law will only last till Hindus are in majority, and once the majority turns in the minority, "nothing will remain."

"Those talking about the Constitution, laws, secularism will continue to do so only as long as Hindus are in majority in this country," Nitin Patel said, adding that once the number of Hindus reduces and the number of people from another community increases, "there will be no courts, Lok Sabha, Constitution, secularism...they will all vanish in thin air, nothing will remain."

During an event on Friday to mark the idol installation ceremony of Bharat Mata in a temple, Patel reiterated that he is not talking about all the Christians and Muslims, a lot of them are patriots.

"I do not talk about all of them. Thousands and lakhs of Muslims, Christians are patriots. Thousands of Muslims are in the Indian Army, hundreds of Muslims are in the Gujarat police force. They are all patriots. But (I am talking about those) who are not," he said, reported PTI.

The Deputy CM also bring up the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 - which seeks to cease religious conversions through interfaith marriages using allurement or force or fraudulent means. He said that an amendment was necessary due to concerns raised over "love Jihad" cases. 

He also criticised Muslim organisations (Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind) for challenging the amendment. "I have to ask those who have moved wrt in the court, will you still challenge the Act if somebody (from another religion) takes away your daughter (for forcible marriage and converts her religion)?"

Patel further asked the group "what is their object to Hindu girls marrying Hindus, Muslims girls marrying Muslims, Christian girls marrying Christians and Sikh girls marrying Sikhs."

Gujarat HC stays some provisions of the anti-Love Jihad law

Earlier this month, Gujarat High Court stayed some sections that interfere with interfaith marriages in the state's new anti-conversion law. It said that "Sections 2, 4, 4A to 4C, 5, 6 and 6A shall not operate merely because a marriage is solemnised by a person of one religion with a person of another religion without force or by allurement or by fraudulent means and such marriages cannot be termed as marriages for the purposes of unlawful conversion." The court said that the interim order is to protect the harassment of inter-faith couples. Patel commented on the development, stating "people of their community should thank" state Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja and the BJP government for bringing a law that protects daughters from every religion.

(With PTI Inputs)