Ruckus at hotel in MP over stay of interfaith couple

Members of a right-wing organisation allegedly created ruckus at a hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district on Friday night after they said a room was rented out to an interfaith couple and the owner was “promoting love jihad”, police said on Saturday.

The incident comes days after three members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad dragged a Muslim man and his Hindu travelling companion out of an Ajmer-bound train, at Ujjain railway station, accusing the former of “love jihad”.

Hindu Dharma Jagran Manch president Anish Arjhare said: “The 23-year-old Hindu woman belonging to Bhopal had come to Khandwa with a 23-year-old Muslim man from Burhanpur. They tried to book a room in a hotel, but were denied by at least 10. We later came to know that they were given a room at a local hotel in Khandwa, and approached the police to take action. We also called the family members of the woman as there was a possibility that the man had misguided her, but the police refused to take any action.”

The police refused to take action against the couple, citing breach of privacy.

“We inquired about the couple and they have come here according to their wish. The woman, who is pursuing an MBA from Bhopal, said she was not forced to come here and she doesn’t want any action. We didn’t call the parents because it would be a breach of privacy of the woman. I have asked Hindu Jagran Manch members to maintain their privacy and allow them to stay without any interference,” Kotwali police station in charge Baljeet Singh Bisen said.

The police also did not file any charges against the right-wing group. “No action was taken against them as nobody filed any complaint.”