Nadine Osman
Two Muslim teenagers were booked by police for “breach of peace” after attending a Hindu friend’s birthday celebration at a café in Bareilly, northern India, following an intervention by members of a Hindu right-wing group who alleged “love jihad”.
The incident took place last month when a nursing student hosted a small birthday gathering for her classmates. According to police, the group comprised ten students, six girls and four boys, of whom only two were Muslim.
Midway through the celebration, members of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist organisation, entered the café and accused the Muslim boys of involvement in “love jihad”, a conspiracy theory promoted by Hindu extremist groups alleging Muslim men seek to convert Hindu women through relationships. Police later said there was no basis to the claim.
Eyewitnesses said the Bajrang Dal members verbally abused the group and physically assaulted one of the Muslim boys. The birthday host was also allegedly attacked when she tried to intervene. Videos circulated on social media show police restraining the young woman as she resisted being taken away from the scene.
Following an inquiry, police said no wrongdoing was found on the part of the students. However, two Muslim boys and a café staff member were booked under preventive laws for allegedly disturbing public order. No arrests were made among the Bajrang Dal members, who were advised by police to disperse.
Speaking to The Times of India, the birthday host said the accusations were false and misleading.
“They crashed my birthday party and attacked my friend. There were only two Muslims present — most of my guests were Hindus. The videos shared by right-wing members showed only selective footage and did not capture the full incident. The claim of ‘love jihad’ was completely unfounded,” she said.
Police officials reiterated that the event was a private celebration among classmates and confirmed that the “love jihad” allegation had been ruled out.
The case has sparked criticism on social media and among civil society groups, who have raised concerns over selective policing and growing religious intolerance. Critics argue that booking the students rather than those who disrupted the event reflects a wider pattern of preventive laws being used disproportionately against minorities.
Photo: Two Muslim teenagers were booked for “breach of peace” after a Hindu right-wing group disrupted a Hindu friend’s birthday party in Bareilly, alleging “love jihad”.
(Credit: @KrishnaTOI)
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