This is the first story in The Hindu Rashtra Project, a series that traces efforts across states to establish a ‘Hindu state’. 

This story is set in Madhya Pradesh where if you’re a Muslim, especially a Muslim man, you can’t marry a Hindu, even if the Chief Justice of the state’s highest court rules in your favour. Hindutva organisations will work against you, unchecked – perhaps even assisted – by the police and authorities. 

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Ankita Rathore is 27 years old, but since October 22, 2024, she has been living in a children’s shelter home in Jabalpur. She was sent there by the court, following threats to her safety by Hindutva groups. 

The reason Ankita has provoked the ire of the right wing in Madhya Pradesh is her decision to marry 29-year-old Hasnain Ansari. Rathore and Ansari are one of the many interfaith couples who find themselves up against the propaganda of ‘love jihad’ in a state whose machinery seems unwilling to go against the Hindu right wing. 

Speaking to Newslaundry from the shelter home, where her moves and meetings seem to be closely monitored, Ankita said she’d prefer to write her responses rather than answer them in person. The presence of the female constable in attendance – supposedly for Ankita’s safety – may have made her circumspect. Since she and Hasnain filed for a marriage license last year in October, state authorities have not proved to be helpful. Despite an order from the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court permitting their union, Rathore and Ansari have not been able to get married. 

“I felt completely cheated. There was no legitimate reason for them to turn us away,” Ankita said of the state administration that overrode an order from the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh expressly permitting the couple to get married. “It was as if our rights were being ignored at every turn, and all our efforts were in vain,” she said. 

A timeline

On October 7, 2024, Ankita and Hasnain applied for a marriage licence under the Special Marriage Act and were scheduled to get married on November 12, 2024. Ten days after their visit to the marriage registrar’s office, on October 17, 2024, her father, Hiralal Rathore, registered a missing complaint for Ankita in Indore. 

By October 20, right-wing groups had learned about Ankita and Hasnain. Several Hindutva organisations launched protests and groups such as the Hindu Seva Parishad and Hindu Dharma Sena submitted formal objections to the office of the additional collector and the marriage registrar, claiming the union was unlawful and should be prevented. They alleged the marriage was an example of ‘love jihad’, a term used by Hindutva groups to describe interfaith couples in which the man is Muslim and the woman is Hindu. 

As tensions rose, the couple’s lawyer Amanulla Usmani withdrew his vakalatnama. He cited receiving threats from the police as the reason for his decision, expressing concerns for his own safety. Usmani requested the court to inform the petitioners that they would need to engage another legal representative to continue their case.