In a district-level women’s convention in Tenkila on Sunday, BJP leader Malavika Avinash sparked controversy with remarks suggesting that Hindu young women who marry Muslims would lose their rights.
Addressing the ‘Nari Shakti Sangama,’ she raised questions about the conditions of converting to Islam, casting doubts on the nature of love when such conditions are imposed.
“If such a condition is imposed, what kind of love is that?” Avinash questioned, adding that Hindu women leave their religion for various reasons. She urged them to carefully consider the implications before abandoning their faith.
Avinash said the Hindu practice of monogamy with equal rights for both spouses while noting that Islam allows polygamy. According to her, a Hindu woman marrying a person of another faith would forfeit her rights and become one of the wives under polygamy.
Avinash urged young girls to understand the true meaning of love and cautioned them about the consequences of converting to Islam for the sake of love. She also drew attention to age restrictions for women at the Sabarimala temple and questioned entry restrictions for women in mosques.
“Laws governing marriage and divorce are designed to protect women’s interests, whereas Sharia law permits four wives,” Avinash argued, adding that equal property rights are enjoyed by Hindu women, which she claimed would be lost upon conversion.
