At a religious event on the occasion of Diwali, Ex-BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur delivered a speech targeting interfaith marriages. She incited violence against Hindu women who marry outside their faith, urging parents to “break the legs” of daughters who choose to marry “vidharmis” (non-Hindus). She claims strict discipline was necessary to preserve “Hindu values,” justifying violence against daughters who “disobey,” telling parents not to hesitate in physical punishment of children “for their own good.” She lamented a “decline in values,” saying families celebrate daughters as Lakshmi at birth but later lose them to another faith in marriage.