In a moving video testimony, Love Jihad survivor Apoorva Puranik has asked Hindu girls not to marry Muslim men because our sanskar (traditions) is different from theirs.
Apoorva was brutally attacked by her husband Mohammad Ijaz after she left him. In the video recorded and posted by journalist Chiru Bhat, Apoorva Puranik says she was a victim of an alleged Love Jihad.
"I am Apoorva, I wish no girl should suffer like how I am. If any girl wants to take any decision, pls take it up with your parents & discuss. Don't think they'll make you leave college & all. Else, you'll face the same fate as me. Pls trust no one other than ur parents."
11/n pic.twitter.com/AjoPAPTWMt
— Chiru Bhat | ಚಿರು ಭಟ್ (@mechirubhat) March 15, 2022
She is currently recovering in a local hospital in Karnataka’s Gadag after she was attacked by her husband Mohammad Ijaz, who had stabbed her 23 times with a machete because she defied by leaving.
She could be heard speaking in Kannada and requesting fellow Hindu women not to make the same mistakes she had made by getting involved in a relationship with a Muslim man and always have a discussion with parents before making any major decisions.
“If you witness any small changes in your society, inform your parents. Do not fear that they will make you quit your education. Or else, you will face the same fate as me. Please trust no one other than your parents. Saving life should be your first priority,” she added.
She also said Hindu women should not fall into the trap of Muslim men and requested them to marry within the Hindu dharma.
“It is safe to marry within Hindu dharma as our sanskar (traditions) is different from others. It is difficult to get adjusted to other traditions. If we want to uphold and protect our cultures and traditions, we should marry within our own community, and we will also be safe,” said Apoorva Puranik.
Victim of #LoveJihad who miraculously survived the attack says, "Pls marry within your Hindu Dharma and not outside that. Because their sanskar is different and our sanskar is different. It doesn't match at all."
10/n pic.twitter.com/Wg6RklfWCt— Chiru Bhat | ಚಿರು ಭಟ್ (@mechirubhat) March 15, 2022
In her latest statement recorded by Chiru Bhat, Apoorva revealed that Ijaz had first sexually assaulted her and recorded the act which he used as a tool to blackmail her for marriage and had also threatened to hurt her and her mother.
“When I agreed to the marriage, he asked me to convert to Islam. I had to sign on all documents as I had no choice. I must say this is nothing but Love Jihad. Even after marriage, he was not taking care of me. I was brainwashed. I didn’t even listen to my parents,” the journalist quoted the victim.
She also said that Ijaz forced her to cook and consume meat after their marriage and treated her like a dog after she delivered a baby.
“Ijaz used to feed nonveg to my baby forcibly. Only after my marriage, I came to know that he was married for 14 years to his first wife,” she said.
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