THE All India Democratic Women’s Association in a statement issued on October 1 has strongly condemned the recently appointed National Commission for Women chairperson’s reported efforts to exonerate the RSS and its leaders (who are prominent leaders of the BJP) of any agency in coining, and propagating the term “love jihad”. The remarks of the chairperson in this regard have been published in a leading daily on October 1, 2014. The conservative sections of society have been trying to impose controls on women’s freedom and right to choice in marriage, illegally, and often through acts of violence. This so- called “social outrage” cannot be propounded or defended by any political party that claims to uphold democratic values. Moreover, the chairperson can hardly be oblivious of the dangerous attempt being made by leaders of the RSS and the BJP, to communalise instances of self choice marriages between consenting adults from Hindu – Muslim communities, and project them as part of a game plan for enforced religious conversions by Muslim fundamentalists in our country. These elements are indulging in the worst kind of falsification, which will tear apart the fabric of social amity that has held us together upto now. Many such instances of using rumours to rake up communal hatred, and to provoke communal riots on issues relating to women’s safety and security, have been reported by media channels and in the print media over the past few months, ever since the BJP came to power. The poisonous propaganda that the BJP MP Yogi Adityanath used in UP to incite communal violence, and polarise peacefully co existing communities for electoral purposes are still fresh in public memory. The NCW chairperson must view this dangerous trend as an attack on the constitutional rights of our youth to choose their partners, without having to fear violence and communal attacks. The NCW’s mandate of safeguarding women’s rights to equality and a secure life can hardly be achieved if the Commission fails to define and address those who are contributing to such targeted violence against women. AIDWA has urged the chairperson to immediately take steps to ensure that marriages between consenting adults belonging to different communities do not become a source of communal hatred and strife in our country.