A 20-year-old Muslim girl named Shabia has reportedly married her 22-year-old Hindu partner Sanjay in the Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, she has converted to Sanatana Dharma and changed her name to Sita. The two tied the knot on 27th December in a temple according to Hindu rituals and traditions despite opposition from her family members. However, the occasion was attended by members of Hindu organisations including Bajrang Dal.
Shabia is a resident of Nartauli village in the Bahua block of the district, while Sanjay is from the neighbouring Sonbarsa village. The couple was in a relationship for three years, but her family was against their union. The pair decided to have a court wedding earlier, but they reached the location and created a ruckus there. Afterwards, the young lovers were married in the Tambeshwar Shiva temple by people associated with Bajrang Dal.
Sanjay met Shabia in her hamlet which he visited often. They intended to make their relationship official after filing their statement with the court, but her family caused quite a stir and derailed their plans. Individuals from Hindu groups then arrived at the scene as soon as they received the information about the development. The duo were then taken to the temple where they took seven rounds around the sacred fire and married per Hindu customs amid the chants of the Vedic mantras.
“I have been having an affair with Sanjay since I was 17 years old. It has nothing to do with religion. Now I am 20 years old. I am an adult and I have full right to decide my life,” Shabia declared after her wedding ceremony. The members of the Hindu organisations also gifted a cheque of Rs 10 thousand to the newlyweds to ensure they had no trouble starting afresh. The couple departed for Delhi following their marriage.