Patna: A villager in Jharkhand beat up his wife after she reportedly voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against his wishes in the recent elections, prompting her to register a case against her husband.
The police have registered the case and begun investigation.
The victim Sahana Khatoon, wife of Kudus Ansari, is a resident of Chanho locality which falls under Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency in Jharkhand. Lohardaga went to polls in the fourth round of voting on April 29.
According to the complainant, she was told by her husband to cast her vote on the “hand”, which is the poll symbol of the Congress, but she voted for the BJP, impressed by its policy.
While returning to her home from the polling booth, she revealed it to her co-villagers who informed her husband and the entire village. Soon, the news spread like a wildfire as the local villagers condemned her for her decision.
“You are not fit to stay with us in the society,” the local villagers reportedly told the women and also registered their strong protest with her husband.
Reports said when her husband asked from her as to why she voted for the BJP against his wishes, she said she did it on her own will. The reply angered her husband who later beat up his wife on Saturday. According to her, a local villager also joined her husband to assault her.
Soon after the incident she left for her parents’ home, but on Sunday, she went to the local Chanho police station and registered a case against the accused persons after mustering courage.
“We have registered the case and action would be taken after investigation,” the local police station in-charge Rajendra Rajak told the media on Monday.
The change in the perception of the Muslim women towards the BJP is said to be the outcome of a number of initiatives taken by the party in their interest in recent months, such as criminalising the Islamic practice of instant triple talaq, terminating the practice of male escorts for woman Haj pilgrims and diverting about Rs700 million saved due to ending of Haj subsidy for the education of Muslim girls. Muslims account for some 14.53 per cent of the total population in Jharkhand.
