Hindu extremists launch campaign against Muslim henna artists in India
Women's wing of the far-right group vows to beat Muslim artists applying henna to Hindu women, reflecting rising religious hysteria
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) —In yet another sign of India’s deepening communal divide, a far-right Hindu group has launched a street campaign in northern India accusing Muslim men of spreading a so-called “mehndi jihad” — a fabricated conspiracy linking a cultural tradition to “love jihad” propaganda.
The campaign, led by the women’s wing of the Hindu extremist outfit Kranti Sena, began this week in Muzaffarnagar, a city in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.
Videos shared online show women wielding sticks and chanting slogans as they warn Muslim men not to apply henna on the hands of Hindu women ahead of Karva Chauth, a festival celebrating marital devotion.
Local media footage shows members of the group performing a ritual to “sanctify” their sticks before announcing plans to patrol markets, inspect identity cards of henna artists, and “teach a lesson” to any Muslim man found decorating Hindu women’s hands.
They claimed, without evidence, that Muslim men use the tradition to entice Hindu women into relationships — rhetoric mirroring the long-debunked “love jihad” myth promoted by Hindu nationalist organizations.
Participants justified their actions as an attempt to “protect Hindu daughters,” but the display has drawn outrage for normalizing hate under the guise of religious purity.
Rights observers say such public mobilizations — particularly in Uttar Pradesh, governed by Hindu militant monk and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath — are part of a growing trend where women’s groups aligned with Hindu extremism enforce segregation in everyday social interactions.
While police have not announced any investigation, the incident underscores how festivals once associated with harmony and cultural exchange are being weaponized for sectarian politics.
Analysts say the portrayal of Muslim artisans and vendors as threats is a deliberate strategy to deepen mistrust and marginalize the minority community economically and socially.
Muzaffarnagar itself carries a violent legacy — the site of deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in 2013 that displaced thousands. For many observers, scenes of women marching with sticks in 2025 serve as a chilling reminder that the politics of fear still thrives in the same region once scarred by bloodshed.
As India prepares for another festive season, the question looms large: can its shared traditions survive the surge of religious chauvinism that now overshadows even the simplest acts of celebration?
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