“I fixed my daughter’s marriage with her Muslim boy and informed everyone. They all agreed to the marriage as this is the 21st century and our children are free to marry whoever they want,” Yashpal Benam, chairman of the Pauri Municipal Corporation and a former MLA, advised the media on Saturday. His daughter was scheduled to get married on May 28.

“Slowly, such an environment was created that the situation is now not favourable for the wedding. The events planned for May 26-28 are put off keeping that in mind,” he stated.

“Being a father, I accepted my daughter’s love. We sat with the groom’s family and decided to get them married. But under the current circumstances, because I am also a public representative and nagar palika (municipal council) chairman, my responsibility is also towards my people. This decision has been taken so that there is a happy and harmonious environment,” he advised reporters.

After the invitation card for the marriage went viral, a number of males beneath the banner of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal (Kotdwar) carried out a protest in Pauri Garhwal on Friday, shouting slogans and burning effigies. Benam stated he additionally acquired private messages in opposition to the marriage.

He stated the marriage had been mounted round two-three months in the past, and that individuals initially welcomed the choice. “People said I should not publish a card, but I was not hiding anything from anyone. The card, however, went viral and several organisations sent me messages and the matter was posted on social media,” stated Benam.

He stated he didn’t need the marriage to happen beneath police safety. He thanked the groom’s household “as they fully supported us at this time”. He additionally thanked the police and district administration “for keeping an eye on the matter”.

Benam stated a number of senior workplace bearers of the Sangh had referred to as him. “There are people of all kinds in this world. Some talked to me politely and others were harsh in their comments. But their anger is justified according to them, just like my love for my daughter is justified according to me… (The groom’s family) are good people, and neglecting them just because they are Muslim is not a good thing. Several people warned me against this marriage, saying this will put my political career in jeopardy. But I said that for me, my daughter’s happiness is important, and my political career is separate,” he stated.

Benam has beforehand been with the Congress, however left the celebration over a decade in the past. He has additionally been an Independent MLA from the Pauri Assembly constituency in 2007, defeating the BJP’s Tirath Singh Rawat.

He didn’t reply to calls and messages in search of a remark.

Benam’s daughter studied at Lucknow University, the place she met the groom.

Uttarakhand BJP media in-charge Manveer Chauhan, when contacted, stated, “This is their personal matter and we will not interfere. However, BJP’s ideology is that if someone is involved in forced conversion or lures our daughters to convert them to make them terrorists, we are against that.”

Congress state president Karan Mahara stated it was the BJP’s accountability to take cognizance of the matter and act in opposition to these threatening Benam. “Though BJP senior leaders are saying that this is someone’s personal matter… (they) should say what action they have taken against those who threatened Benam… They are trying to show otherwise, but the truth is that the BJP itself is giving the threats using organisations that support them,” stated Mahara.