Knowra Love jihad conspiracy theory Love jihad conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men systematically pursue relationships with Hindu women to convert them to Islam. Investigations have found no evidence of an organized campaign.
Kerala : An Indian state on the southwestern coast, with a large Muslim population and a history of religious and political debate. Early prominent claims about coordinated religious conversion through relationships arose in Kerala.
Conspiracy theory : An explanation that attributes events to a secret plot by powerful actors, often without adequate evidence. The allegation presents private relationships as evidence of a coordinated, hidden campaign.
Narendra Modi : An Indian politician who has served as prime minister since 2014 and leads the Bharatiya Janata Party. His 2020 speech used the phrase while discussing alleged religious conversion through marriage.
Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 : A Uttar Pradesh law regulating religious conversion, including conversions connected to marriage. The law gave state authorities a framework for investigating relationships alleged to involve coerced conversion.
Hadiya case : A legal controversy over Akhila Ashokan, who converted to Islam, married Shafin Jahan, and was briefly placed under parental custody by a court. The Supreme Court addressed a real conversion and marriage without finding a basis to treat it as proof of a campaign.
Karnataka : An Indian state in the southwest, home to major cities including Bengaluru. The allegation became prominent in Karnataka through police inquiries and political debate.
Religious conversion : A person's adoption of a religion different from a previous or inherited faith. Reported conversions are treated as the alleged campaign's intended outcome.
Yogi Adityanath : An Indian politician and Hindu monk who has served as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh since 2017. He publicly invoked the allegation and promoted state action against marriages framed as coercive conversion.
Freedom of religion in India : The constitutional and legal protection for religious belief and practice in India. Conversion restrictions raised questions about whether adults can freely choose a faith and spouse.
Adult consent : A competent adult's voluntary agreement to an action or relationship, given without coercion. The central dispute concerns whether an adult woman's choices are respected or presumed coerced.
Show all 23