U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath defends ‘love jihad’ law amid political row

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the state must stay vigilant against “love jihad”, calling it a conspiracy to alter religious demographics. He highlighted that Uttar Pradesh enacted a strict anti‑conversion law in 2020, citing earlier concerns raised by the Kerala High Court.

During the Shri Ram Katha Mahotsav, Adityanath also used the term “land jihad”, urging that land should not become a “dharmshala” for those he described as invaders. Hindu seers, including Mahant Sitaram Das and Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, backed his statements. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav criticised the remarks, arguing they contradict Sanatan Dharma’s teachings of brotherhood and truth and accused the CM of prioritising land over love.

The debate reflects ongoing legal challenges to anti‑conversion laws in several Indian states and underscores a broader cultural and political clash over identity and migration.