Bhopal: Hindutva group booked for assault on Muslim man over ‘love jihad’ claims
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An FIR has been registered against unidentified persons after members of a Hindutva group allegedly barged into a hotel room in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and assaulted a Muslim man who was present with a Hindu woman, following accusations linked to “love jihad”, The Hindu reported on Wednesday.
“Love jihad” is a conspiracy theory promoted by Hindutva groups, which claims that Muslim men lure Hindu women into relationships with the intent of converting them to Islam. The Union Home Ministry has previously informed Parliament that Indian law does not recognise or define such a term.
According to police, the case was filed at Govindpura police station based on multiple complaints against unidentified individuals for allegedly assaulting 27-year-old Arif Khan on May 10.
Reports stated that members of the Bajrang Dal entered a hotel room in Gautam Nagar, where they allegedly assaulted Khan. He was then paraded on the street with ink and cow dung smeared on his face.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly show Bajrang Dal members raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” during the incident. Some clips also appear to show Khan being slapped in the presence of police personnel as officers attempted to intervene, The Hindu reported.
The Bajrang Dal is affiliated with a wider network of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent body of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The woman involved later told police that she had not been coerced or forced into conversion, stating that she had met Khan of her own free will and had voluntarily gone to the hotel, NDTV reported.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Monika Shukla said the accused have not yet been identified, adding that investigators are reviewing social media videos to trace those involved.
Govindpura police station in-charge Awadhesh Singh Tomar confirmed that the FIR has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to acts intended to deliberately and maliciously outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.
