Love-jihad: The Hindu right’s conspiring Muslim men and innocent Hindu girls.

The article examines the conspiracy theory of "love-jihad," propagated by the Hindu right in India, which alleges that Muslim men deceitfully court Hindu women to marry and convert them to Islam. It analyzes how language used by prominent Hindu nationalist leaders, including Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, and Smriti Irani, functions as a tool of propaganda to demonize Muslim men, portray Hindu women as vulnerable and in need of protection, and reinforce Hindu majoritarianism. This discourse has culminated in legislation, such as the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance (2020), which criminalizes alleged forced religious conversions through marriage, disproportionately targeting Muslim men and restricting Hindu women's agency. The article situates love-jihad within broader socio-political hierarchies and argues that the propagation of this narrative serves to marginalize Indian Muslims while simultaneously policing and subordinating Hindu women under the guise of protection.