Love jihad is a conspiracy theory promoted by right-wing Hindutva activists in India. The theory purports that Muslim men target Hindu women for conversion to Islam by means such as seduction, love, and marriage. The term "love jihad" is used to describe an alleged phenomenon where Muslim men lure Hindu women into marrying them and converting to Islam. The conspiracy theory is not supported by evidence, and Indias Supreme Court has rejected it. However, more than half a dozen of Indias 29 states have introduced laws banning the use of marriage to push someone into converting. The laws have been used to arrest Muslim men, and Hindu vigilantes have used violent and coercive tactics to prevent Hindu women from continuing their relationships with Muslim men. Love jihad in politics has been closely tied to Hindu nationalism, particularly the more extremist form hindutva associated with BJP Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The anti-Islamic stances of many right-wing hindutva groups like Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) are usually hostile to inter-religious marriage and religious pluralism, which can sometimes result in mob violence motivated by allegations of love jihad. The conspiracy theory is divisive, built on fake news, and designed to foster hatred and suspicion between religious communities.