Hindu extremist leader in India vows cash rewards for marrying Muslim women

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Hindu extremist politician in southern India has announced plans to offer large cash incentives to Hindu men who marry Muslim women, in comments that have reignited debate over the gendered nature of anti-Muslim politics in the country.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a state legislator from Karnataka known for his inflammatory speeches, told reporters he would launch a campaign granting 500,000 Indian rupees ($6,000) to Hindu men who marry Muslim women. 

He framed the pledge as a “response” to the Islamophobic Love Jihad conspiracy theory — a baseless narrative promoted by Hindutva groups that claims Muslim men deceive Hindu women into marriage to convert them to Islam.

Hindutva outfits in India have long used such rhetoric as part of a wider demographic and religious agenda, often sexualizing Muslim women and portraying them as spoils in a communal struggle. Some groups have openly promoted reward schemes for Hindu men marrying Muslim women, presenting these relationships as acts of “reclamation.” 

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a powerful Hindutva organisation, has run its “Beti Bachao, Bahu Lao” (“Save daughters, bring daughters-in-law”) campaign — a slogan that calls for protecting Hindu women from Muslim men while encouraging Hindu men to bring Muslim women into the Hindu fold.

Rights advocates say these tactics both commodify women and deepen communal fault lines.

Yatnal’s comments came after he visited the family of a Hindu man recently killed in Karnataka. He accused the state’s Congress-led government of being “pro-Muslim.” He claimed Hindu men face threats in the state while police are restrained from acting against Muslim suspects.

Analysts warn that such statements are part of a broader Hindutva playbook — blending misinformation, gender politics, and communal provocation to mobilise support and reshape India’s secular identity into a Hindu-first order.