The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party following an incident in Bareilly where members of the Bajrang Dal allegedly assaulted two Muslim youths at a café after accusing them of “love jihad.” The incident, which took place during a birthday celebration, has sparked political outrage and renewed debate over vigilantism and religious targeting.
Sharing a video of the incident on social media platform X, the Aam Aadmi Party accused the Bajrang Dal of spreading fear and intolerance. In its post, the party described the organisation as a “poisonous branch” of the BJP and alleged that its actions were creating terror across the country. The AAP further claimed that such behaviour was damaging the image of Hinduism by misusing the name of Lord Bajrang Bali to justify violence and intimidation.
The party also criticised the Uttar Pradesh police, accusing them of failing to act against those responsible for the attack. According to the AAP, instead of taking firm action against the alleged attackers, the police ended up harassing the victims. The party alleged that such inaction was allowing self-styled vigilante groups to take the law into their own hands and operate with impunity.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening at a café in Bareilly, where a nursing student was celebrating her birthday with friends. According to reports, members of the Bajrang Dal stormed into the café after learning that two Muslim youths were present at the gathering. They accused the youths of being involved in “love jihad” and began assaulting them, despite repeated assurances from the host that the gathering was purely a birthday celebration and had no religious angle.
Eyewitnesses said the situation quickly turned chaotic as the attackers continued to beat the two youths even after being told there was no wrongdoing. The commotion drew the attention of local residents, following which the police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. The police later detained the two youths under provisions of Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows preventive detention.
Speaking about the incident, senior police officer Ashutosh Shivam said that a birthday party was taking place at the café with six girls and four boys in attendance. He confirmed that two of the boys were from the Muslim community and that members of a Hindu organisation entered the café during the celebration and accused them of love jihad. He added that a physical altercation followed, after which the police intervened to defuse the situation and launched an inquiry into the matter.
The incident has since drawn widespread criticism, with opposition parties accusing right-wing groups of moral policing and creating an atmosphere of fear. The Aam Aadmi Party reiterated its demand for strict action against those involved in the assault and called on the authorities to ensure that innocent citizens are not targeted on the basis of religion.
