extensively in recent years to incite violence against Muslim communities, as the theory has been increasingly brought into the mainstream.173 Building on this discourse, BJP-governed states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh have enacted anti-conversion laws targeting interfaith marriages, invalidating them and imposing severe penalties. By January 2023, 11 Indian states had such laws. Between November 2020 and August 2021, Uttar Pradesh police arrested 208 Muslims under these laws. This campaign of fear and hate led to the brutal murder of 24-year-old Arbaz Mullah by the extremist Hindu Shri Ram Sena Hindustan for his relationship with a Hindu woman.174 Several BJP-governed states have enacted anti-conversion laws targeting interfaith marriages. By January 2023, 11 out of 28 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, had such laws, potentially nullifying marriages allegedly for conversion and imposing penalties of 5-10 years in prison.175 BETWEEN MARCH 31ST AND APRIL 6TH, 2020, THERE WERE OVER 293,000 CONVERSATIONS FEATURING THE HASHTAG #CORONAJIHAD ON TWITTER, REACHING UP TO 165 MILLION PEOPLE. ONE TWEET, REMOVED ONLY AFTER 2,000 RETWEETS, DEPICTED A CARICATURED MUSLIM LABELED “CORONA JIHAD” PUSHING A HINDU OFF A CLIFF. Further, a ‘jihad master narrative’ has since expanded to include other stigmatizing conspiracy theories, such as Corona Jihad in 2020, where Muslims were accused of spreading COVID-19 to Hindus as part of a Muslim takeover master scheme. According to the South Asian Dalit human rights organization Equality Labs,176 between March 31st and April 6th, 2020, there were over 293,000 conversations featuring the hashtag #Coronajihad on Twitter, reaching up to 165 million people. One tweet, removed only after 2,000 retweets, depicted a caricatured Muslim labeled “Corona Jihad” pushing a Hindu off a cliff. Equality Labs director 173 Outlook India. (2023). The roots and evolution of the myth of love jihad in Kerala. https://www.outlookindia.com/ national/the-roots-and-evolution-of-the-myth-of-love-jihad-in-kerala-news-277712 174 Georgetown University. (n.d.). Factsheet: Love Jihad conspiracy theory. Bridge Initiative. https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/factsheet-love-jihad-conspiracy-theory/ 175 Ibid. 176 Equality Labs. (2020). Coronajihad: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Unleashed Anti-Muslim Bigotry in India. Equality Labs, 2020, https://equalitylabs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CORONAJIHAD_EqualityLabs_Report2020.pdf 51