Honour killing victim’s father organises iftar

Dubai: On Sunday, honour killing victim Ankit Saxena’s father hosted an iftar at his Delhi residence.

Saxena, a 23-year-old, was murdered in Delhi’s Raghubir Nagar on February 1, in a purported case of honour killing. He was killed by his Muslim girlfriend’s family for being in an inter-faith relationship with her.

According to an Indian daily, The Hindu, to honour him, Saxena’s family and friends set up the Ankit Saxena Trust, to support couples in inter-faith relationships. It was under the trust’s banner that Yashpal Saxena, Ankit’s father organised the iftar.

Yashpal Saxena told The Hindu: “Our message is clear. We want peace and harmony in the area. I hold no grudge against any community...”

The event, which was free of political interference, was attended by scores of locals. Social media users are praising Ankit’s family.

Tweep @VRAJA4eVr wrote: “Ankit’s father is a role model for all the Hindus in India. Who has lost his son in an communal war? Neither Modi nor Yogi, but he has and now he is organising Iftar for Muslims. Love is all that humanity needs.”

A Twitter user @drkafeelkhan who met Yashpal Saxena during the event posted a picture and wrote: “... Humanity is the best religion for mankind.”

Journalist @sardesairajdeep tweeted: “To Ankit Saxena father: sir, you make us realise what being human is truly all about. Mera Salam (I salute you) sir!”

Tweep @irfhabib added: “Yashpal Saxena, Ankit’s father is an exemplary man, who has set very high standards of love and care. All in the midst of huge personal loss and grief. Hope his example will inspire all of us to forget about hate for each other, instead bring in empathy.”

Honour killings are becoming more common in India, increasing from 28 reported incidents in 2014 to 251 in 2015, according to latest data.