From Democracy to Dictatorship: How the Hindutva Hate Machine is Criminalizing Choice under India’s Fascist “Love Jihad” Laws
February 14, 2026The recent incident in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, is a disgusting example of how the Indian state has become a playground for religious fanatics. The planned marriage between Shahvez Rana and Akanksha Gautam was not just disrupted; it was hijacked by a violent mob of Hindutva goons who have the full backing of the BJP government. Despite the bride and her mother shouting from the rooftops that the relationship was consensual, the police chose to listen to the Bajrang Dal instead. This is the new, ugly face of India: where a woman’s “yes” means nothing if it doesn’t fit the RSS agenda.
The “Love Jihad” Lie: A Weapon of State Terror
For years, “Love Jihad” was a baseless conspiracy theory whispered in extremist circles. Today, under Narendra Modi, it has been turned into a lethal legal weapon. The RSS-BJP-Bajrang Dal alliance has successfully institutionalized hate. By using state machinery to police the bedrooms of private citizens, they are effectively telling every Indian: “You do not own your heart; the state does.”
This is a systematic war. As of February 2023, 12 Indian states had already passed these draconian anti-conversion laws, including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. In October 2025, Rajasthan joined this hall of shame by notifying its own law with heavy penalties. These laws are designed for one purpose: to give third-party vigilantes the power to destroy Muslim-Hindu couples.
The Numbers of Hate: A Statistical War on Muslims
The data reveals a terrifying pattern of state-sponsored harassment. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a massive crackdown on individual liberty:
- Uttar Pradesh (UP): From 2020 to July 31, 2024, the police filed 835 cases and carried out 1,682 arrests under the anti-conversion law.
- Madhya Pradesh (MP): Between January 2020 and July 15, 2025, at least 283 cases of “Love Jihad” were registered. Out of these, 197 cases are currently being dragged through the courts.
- Geographical Targets: Indore (74 cases) and Bhopal (33 cases) accounted for nearly 40% of all cases in Madhya Pradesh, showing how urban centers are being targeted.
- Karnataka: The state recorded 30 cases and 34+ arrests between May 2022 and June 30, 2024.
These numbers represent human beings—mostly Muslim men—who are being thrown into dungeons simply because they fell in love with someone from a different faith.
Vigilante Justice: The Bajrang Dal Shadow Police
In Modi’s India, the Bajrang Dal behaves like a state-sanctioned mafia. They roam the streets, storm wedding venues, and harass couples in cafes. In Meerut, they didn’t just protest; they intimidated the venue owners and forced the family to cancel the wedding. The police, instead of protecting the citizens, acted as the enforcement wing of the RSS. This is a complete breakdown of the rule of law. Even when the Karnataka High Court (July 17, 2025) warned against “third-party/vigilante misuse,” the ground reality remains a nightmare of intimidation and violence.
The Constitutional Betrayal
The BJP government is tearing up the Indian Constitution to appease its radical base. These “Love Jihad” laws are a direct assault on the fundamental rights of every Indian citizen. They violate:
- Article 21: The right to life and personal liberty.
- Articles 14 & 15: The right to equality and non-discrimination.
- Article 25: The freedom of religion and conscience.
The Supreme Court has been crystal clear on this. In Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K.M. (2018), the court ruled that an adult’s choice of a partner is a fundamental right. In Lata Singh v. State of U.P. (2006), the court called the harassment of inter-faith couples “wholly illegal.” In Shakti Vahini v. Union of India (2018), the court ordered the state to protect couples from “honor-based” threats. Yet, the BJP-RSS combine treats the Supreme Court’s orders like waste paper.
Global Shame: Violating Human Rights
India’s descent into fascism is now a global concern. By allowing mobs to dictate who can marry whom, India is violating international treaties it once claimed to respect:
- UDHR Article 16: Adults have the right to marry without any limitation due to religion.
- ICCPR Article 23: No marriage can happen without free and full consent.
- Convention on Consent to Marriage: A legal standard that explicitly forbids outside interference in a couple’s choice.
Modi’s India: Where Love is a Crime and the Bajrang Dal is the Judge
The Meerut case is a warning to the world. Under the Modi-RSS regime, love is a crime and hate is the law. With 835 cases in UP and 1,682 arrests, the state has turned the act of marriage into a criminal investigation. If this fascist “Love Jihad” narrative is not stopped, India will no longer be a democracy; it will be a theological prison where the Bajrang Dal decides your future. The baseline must be simple: Two adults have the right to marry without a mob at the gate and without an FIR in the police station. Anything less is not democracy; it is tyranny.
