Brinda Karat

"The NIA is on a fishing expedition having already interrogated 89 such couples in Kerala.. An agency whose proclaimed mandate is to investigate offences related to terrorism has now expanded its mandate by order of the Supreme Court to unearth so-called conspiracies of Muslim men luring Hindu women into marriage and forcibly converting them with the aim of joining the Islamic State. ...Her (Hadiya’s) case reveals how deeply the current climate created by sectarian ideologies based on a narrow reading of religious identity has pushed back women’s rights to autonomy as equal citizens. From the government to the courts, to the strengthening of conservative and regressive thinking and practice, it’s all out there in Hadiya’s case. ...It was the courage of her conviction that stood out. She wanted to be treated as a human being. She wanted her faith to be respected. She wanted to study. She wanted to be with her husband. And, most importantly, she wanted her freedom. [She accused the NIA lawyers, who were assisted by the centre’s legal team, of presenting it as an instance of] indoctrination and brainwashing in a conspiracy of love jehad, which they claimed rendered Hadiya incapacitated and invalidated her consent."