‘My Daughter Was Hunted’ – Grieving Father’s Cry After Love Jihad Killing
The horrific murder of 23-year-old Neha Hiremath, daughter of Karnataka Congress corporator Niranjan Hiremath, has ignited a firestorm of outrage and condemnation across the political spectrum. This first-year Master of Computer Applications student at a college in Hubbali was brutally stabbed seven times by Fayaz Khondunaik, her former classmate, in a despicable act of violence fueled by rejected romantic advances.
This heinous crime has escalated into a vicious political maelstrom between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP. While the Congress has attempted to portray it as an isolated incident with personal motives, the BJP has vehemently denounced the deteriorating law and order situation in the state under the Congress regime.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, the BJP candidate for the Dharwad Lok Sabha seat, has ominously speculated about a “love jihad” angle behind this reprehensible act, accusing the state government of minority appeasement and demanding an end to special treatment for a “particular community.” However, Home Minister G Parameshwara has categorically refuted any “love jihad” angle as of now.
Exacerbating the state government’s predicament is the victim’s father, Niranjan Hiremath himself, who has unequivocally labeled the crime as a “Love Jihad” case. He has alleged a long-standing conspiracy by a gang to “trap or execute” his daughter, despite her refusal to heed their threats. “The whole state and country witnessed what happened to my daughter. If they say that it is personal, what is personal in this? Are they my relatives?” he lamented.
In a heart-wrenching admission, Baba Saheb Subani, the father of the accused Fayaz, has expressed profound shock and remorse, stating, “I was shocked. He (Fayaz) should be punished in a way that no one dares to do such a thing in future. Neha was like my daughter, I apologise to her family members.” Subani revealed that eight months ago, the Hiremath family had informed him about his son troubling Neha, and that Fayaz had expressed a desire to marry her, but he had refused consent by “folding his hands.”
Outraged protests have erupted, with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bengaluru and Hubballi staging massive demonstrations, demanding swift justice for Neha and stringent measures to ensure the safety of women on campuses. Members of the Muslim community have also joined in, protesting on the Sankeshwar-Savadatti highway and calling for severe punishment for the accused.
The grieving father, Niranjan Hiremath, recounted the chilling details of how his wife had gone to pick up Neha from college when Fayaz approached her and stabbed her multiple times at the gate. He revealed they were seeking a groom for Neha, which may have prompted Fayaz’s decision to kill her. Hiremath raised poignant questions about the futility of the government’s efforts to promote women’s education and employment if their safety cannot be guaranteed. “If this can happen to the daughter of a corporator, how safe are the common people?” he lamented, calling for a policy to hang such perpetrators of despicable crimes. “I feel that ‘love jihad’ is spreading rapidly,” he added ominously.
In a shocking proposition, Labour minister Santosh Lad decried the incident as an inhumane act that demands swift and uncompromising action to prevent future occurrences. “I am requesting the state and the Centre to bring in a policy to encounter such criminals. We need to act to prevent such incidents from happening in future,” he stated.
This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the nation, exposing the deep-rooted societal malaise of violence against women and the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to ensure their safety and security at all levels.
