Muslim-owned hospital targeted in BJP-ruled UP over false conversion allegations
Lucknow : A Muslim-owned private hospital in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state has come under attack after Hindutva groups accused its management of abducting a Dalit Hindu woman and forcibly converting her to Islam, allegations the woman herself categorically denied.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the allegations sparked protests outside the hospital in Amroha district, where activists of the Hindutva outfits Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad demanded the arrest of the hospital’s administrator. Acting on a complaint filed by woman’s family, police registered a case against the administrator, Attan, and six others on charges including abduction and forced religious conversion.
However, the 24-year-old woman, identified as Sudha, rejected the allegations in a video statement, saying she had been working at the private hospital since 2023 and have never converted to Islam. She said that her family fabricated the claims because of an ongoing property dispute.
Sudha said that her relatives had earlier pressured her to end a court marriage and were now attempting to force her into another marriage against her wishes while divorce proceedings from her previous marriage remain pending. She said the controversy had cost her job, leaving her without support or a place to live.
Hospital administrator Attan also denied all allegations, stating that Sudha remained a Hindu and had been dismissed from her job only after the controversy escalated to prevent further tensions. He urged the authorities to consider the woman’s own statement instead of relying solely on her family’s accusations.
The allegations originated from Sudha’s parents, who claimed that the hospital management had lured her away, abducted her and planned to convert her to Islam before arranging her marriage. They also alleged that hospital staff threatened family members when they tried to intervene.
The incident reflects a recurring pattern in India in which allegations of forced religious conversion are used by Hindutva groups to target Muslims and Muslim-run institutions. In several such cases, individuals portrayed as victims have later publicly denied or contradicted the allegations made on their behalf.
