Khargone, March 13 The father of Monalisa Bhonsle, the young woman who gained fame during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela last year, appealed to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday to ensure her safe return to the state after she married a Muslim man in Kerala.
Monalisa Bhonsle (18), from Maheshwar town here and a member of the nomadic Pardhi community, married Farman Khan on Wednesday at the Nainar Temple in Arumanoor, Poovar, in the presence of some Kerala ministers.
Speaking to reporters here after returning from Kerala, her father Jayasingh Bhonsle said Monalisa has become a victim of "love jihad". This term is used by right-wing groups to allege that Muslim men are conspiring to lure Hindu women into relationships and marriage to convert them to Islam.
"My daughter has become famous across the country. I request Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to ensure that Monalisa is brought back to MP safely. She has been deceived by a Muslim youth, Farman Khan. This is a case of 'love jihad'," Jayasingh told reporters.
He said he knew that his daughter was acting in films and wanted to make a name for herself in this profession.
"I was told that my daughter was acting in two films. She herself had said that some people were teaching her acting and dance. They said they would train her so that she could work in films in the future. I did not know that something like this would happen," he claimed.
Meanwhile, functionaries of the Hindu Jagran Manch, Sameer Mahule and Bhupendra Chauhan, said efforts would be made to persuade Monalisa to return home.
On Thursday, addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Monalisa had said her wedding to a Muslim man was according to her choice and Hindu customs.
She rejected allegations of 'love-jihad'. Monalisa, the eldest of four children, said her parents wanted her to marry her paternal aunt's son, but she opposed the idea. She added that her father was upset with her.
