UP: Right-wing group disrupts interfaith couple's valima reception, event cancelled

Shahjahanpur: Members of the Hindu Jagran Manch disrupted a valima reception for an interfaith couple in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur, forcing its cancellation amid protests against the union. Dr Adnan, 29, had married Neelam, an MBA graduate at a multinational firm, in a Delhi court on September 12, 2025.

The couple scheduled their reception for January 11 at a local banquet hall, but news spread quickly, drawing a large crowd led by Manch member Rajesh Awasthi. Protesters objected vehemently to the Hindu-Muslim marriage, with a video showing Awasthi rallying supporters to demand an FIR against the groom, his family, the qazi, and attendees. " Whoever was present at the event, the people who officiated the nikah, the qazi and the family, we will register an FIR (First Information Report) against them," he declared, adding that if Neelam were a minor, she'd face charges too.

Police intervention prompted the family to abruptly cancel the event. The group submitted a memorandum to SP Rajesh Dwivedi on January 12, seeking action against Dr Adnan under the National Security Act. Dwivedi claimed the event ended before police arrived and noted invitations listed the bride as "Neelam Ansari," per the groom's family. However, Adnan's father countered that police had urged them to halt proceedings, rejecting claims of physical invitations.