A political war of words erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raised concerns over what he described as "Love Jihad" and "Land Jihad" during a public address in Lucknow. His remarks drew a sharp response from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who accused the chief minister of misunderstanding the values of love and social harmony.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the nine-day Ramkatha Mahotsav in Lucknow, Yogi Adityanath said citizens must remain vigilant against what he termed attempts to alter the country's demographic balance. Referring to mythological narratives from the Ramayana, he said Lord Ram had acted against forces that sought to destroy centres of knowledge and learning. The chief minister also cited concerns raised by courts in previous years regarding alleged cases of religious conversion linked to marriage.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister defended the state's anti-conversion legislation enacted in 2020, stating that greater public awareness was still needed. He argued that unlawful religious conversions and activities he described as "Land Jihad" should be confronted, adding that India could not serve as a refuge for individuals lacking loyalty to the nation. He further urged society to remain united and resist efforts to create divisions based on caste, region or language.

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Responding to the remarks, Akhilesh Yadav launched a strong counterattack, claiming that Yogi Adityanath "doesn't understand love." The former chief minister said the ruling BJP leader appeared to care more about land than affection or social unity. He also challenged the government to examine property records in Gorakhpur, suggesting that land ownership patterns should be scrutinised before making such allegations.

Yadav further stated that Sanatan Dharma promotes values of love, brotherhood and truth, arguing that these principles should guide public discourse. The Samajwadi Party leader maintained that social harmony and mutual respect remain central to India's cultural traditions and accused the state government of deviating from those ideals through divisive rhetoric.

The debate once again brought national attention to the politically charged term "love jihad," which has frequently been used by some right-wing groups to allege religious conversions through marriage. The term, however, is not recognised under any central Indian law. In 2020, the Union Home Ministry informed Parliament that no legal definition of "love jihad" exists. Several states have nevertheless enacted anti-conversion laws that criminalise religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, coercion, allurement or solely for the purpose of marriage, without formally using the term itself.

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