New Delhi – The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a writ petition that sought guidelines to prevent media from publishing defamatory and communal reports using the term “love jihad” to target Muslims. The order comes shortly after a controversial video from Bhopal surfaced, showing Sub-Inspector Dinesh Shukla, seated with Bajrang Dal members, warning Muslims to stay away from a gym.
The petition, filed by Maruf Ahmad Khan, sought criminal action against editors of two Hindi newspapers for allegedly using the term “love jihad” in a manner that hurt Muslim sentiments and spread communal hatred. Khan also requested the court to frame media guidelines to prevent false and Islamophobic reporting.
However, the Single Judge Bench of Justice Vishal Mishra rejected the plea on technical grounds, stating that the reliefs sought were in the nature of a public interest litigation (PIL) and could not be entertained as a writ of mandamus. Justice Mishra noted that the petition was not filed under the correct legal provision and therefore could not be processed.
During the hearing, Government Advocate Sumit Raghuwanshi argued that Khan lacked legal standing to demand such sweeping relief. Khan’s counsel, Deepak Bundele, countered that his client, as a member of the Muslim community, had been directly affected by the media’s offensive content. He also pointed out that a prior complaint to the police had yielded no response.
Justice Mishra stated that if police had failed to act, the petitioner had other legal avenues, including escalating the complaint to senior officials or filing under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. On this basis, the court declined to proceed with the case.
The term “love jihad,” frequently used by the ruling BJP and affiliated right-wing groups, refers to a conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men marry Hindu women to convert them to Islam. However, the Union Home Ministry has confirmed in Parliament that no such term exists under Indian law.
In response to a question in the Lok Sabha in February 2020, Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy said there was no official record of “love jihad” cases and no central agency had reported such incidents. He quoted Article 25 of the Constitution, affirming every citizen’s right to practice and propagate their religion.
The court’s dismissal comes in the wake of public outrage over the Bhopal video, where Sub-Inspector Dinesh Shukla, seen in uniform, tells gym-goers: “No Muslim will come here, neither to take training nor to give it. I have said it.” His association with Bajrang Dal members has sparked concerns over the role of police in promoting communal ideologies.
Though Shukla has been moved to Police Lines as a minor disciplinary measure, his statements reflect the language of vigilante groups propagating the “love jihad” narrative. The incident has renewed debates on ideological policing and growing intolerance in Madhya Pradesh and other parts of India.
