‘He doesn’t understand love’ : Akhilesh Yadav hits back at Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Love and Land Jihad’ warning

Hours after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raised concerns over ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit back, accusing him of lacking an understanding of love and brotherhood. While the UP CM warned the citizens to remain vigilant over what he called the attempts to change the demography, Yadav took a swipe at Yogi saying he doesn’t understand love.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the nine-day Ramkatha Mahotsav in Lucknow, Yogi Adityanath said India could not become a refuge for individuals who lacked faith and loyalty towards the nation. Referring to Ramayana, the UP CM said Lord Ram had acted against forces that sought to destroy centres of learning and knowledge. He linked his remarks to concerns over unlawful religious conversions and cited previous observations made by courts on the issue. The Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh had enacted legislation against unlawful religious conversion in 2020 and stressed the need for greater public awareness. He also raised concerns over what he termed Land Jihad and called for society to remain united against forces that seek to divide people on the basis of caste, language or region. The closing ceremony of the nine-day Ramkatha Mahotsav in Lucknow took place on Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Responding to the comments, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said Yogi Adityanath appeared to have more interest in land than in love. “He doesn’t understand love,” Yadav said, while questioning property ownership records in Gorakhpur in response to the allegations surrounding “Land Jihad”. The SP leader further said Sanatan Dharma promotes values of love, brotherhood and truth and asserted that these principles should guide public discourse.

The terms “Love Jihad” and “Land Jihad” have frequently featured in political debates, particularly among right-wing groups. Critics argue that the phrases are used to target Muslims through allegations related to religious conversion and land acquisition.

The Union Home Ministry informed Parliament in 2020 that “love jihad” is not defined under existing Indian laws. However, several states have enacted anti-conversion laws that criminalise religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, coercion, allurement or solely for the purpose of marriage.