Muslim families in Purola, India, have been asked by far-right Hindu groups to leave their homes and livelihoods, which they have had for generations. The threats come after two men allegedly attempted to kidnap a 14-year-old Hindu girl on May 26. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, issued the threats, and they are affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP aims to make India an ethnic Hindu state. The incident has led to allegations of “love jihad”, an unfounded conspiracy theory accusing Muslims of luring Hindu women into relationships to convert them to Islam and marry them. Muslims in Purola have been forced to close their shops and businesses, and many have fled the town. Hindu groups have planned a “mahapanchayat” on June 15, and Muslim traders have called their own meeting on June 18 to protest their targeting.
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