"With Consent": BJP Leader On Cancelling Daughter's Marriage To Muslim Man

Reacting to the BJP leader Yashpal Benam cancelling his daughter's marriage to a Muslim man, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said if the marriage was happening with "mutual consent," there is nothing wrong.

BJP leader Benam on Saturday cancelled his daughter's marriage to a Muslim man in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal with "mutual consent" with the groom's family after the wedding invitation card's picture went viral on social media, triggering a "controversy".

"It is their personal matter. No comment can be made on that. If the girl was marrying a Muslim man with mutual consent then I don't find anything wrong," Congress leader Alvi said.

The marriage ceremony of the BJP leader's daughter was scheduled to be held on May 28.

"The wedding to be held on May 28 now has been cancelled," the BJP leader told reporters on Saturday.

"Being a public representative, I did not want my daughter's marriage to take place under the protection of the police and the administration. I respect public sentiments," he added.

Benam said that the marriage was agreed upon with the consent of both families, but had to be called off after certain things came to the fore.

"My daughter was going to get married to a Muslim youth. Keeping in view the happiness and future of the children, both families had decided to get them married, for which the cards were also printed and shared. But after the invitation card for the wedding went viral on social media, many types of things and objections to the wedding came to the fore," he said.

"After the controversy erupted, with mutual consent, both families decided not to carry out the marriage rituals for the time being," the BJP leader added.

However, he said that the decision regarding his daughter's marriage to the same man would be taken together with the family, well-wishers and the groom's side.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)