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Sep 2023
19m 8s

India's latest 'love trap'

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Videos taken across India are going viral on social media. They show hordes of men harassing and even attacking young couples in the street.

The clips are accompanied by a hashtag #BhagwaLoveTrap - and have been inspired by an inflammatory narrative.

The theory suggests Hindu men are trying to seduce Muslim women and lure them away from their communities - but there’s scant evidence to support the idea.

Shruti Menon meets the Muslim activists pushing the idea of a ‘Bhagwa Love Trap’, and asks what’s behind it.

And she hears from a Hindu leader who thinks the theory is nonsense, and claims the reverse is happening instead.

Presenter: Shruti Menon Producer: Sam Judah Editor: Flora Carmichael

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