Dehradun: When the 28-year-old Muslim man booked a hotel room in Dehradun for a short trip to Mussoorie and Landour with his friend, a Hindu woman, he didn’t expect a confrontation at the reception. “The manager looked at our IDs, saw our names, and said, ‘We can’t allow this. We have got order from above (our seniors)’,” he recalled to ThePrint.
When he demanded to see the directive, the staff failed to produce anything and instead refunded their money on the spot.
Their experience is not unique. Over the past few weeks, at least four to five hotels in Dehradun have reportedly refused rooms to interfaith couples or friends, citing “orders/challans” and fear of intervention by vigilante groups. Some hotel owners privately admit they face pressure from Hindutva organisations, particularly Bajrang Dal, who, they claim “raid hotels” if there are interfaith couples staying.
“If we allow them (interfaith couples to stay), Bajrang Dal activists break open the doors. We don’t want trouble,” said one hotel employee, requesting anonymity.
Another hotel manager told ThePrint, “Some groups have informers who alert them within minutes of check-in. We receive threats even before guests reach the room. It’s easier to refund and avoid problems.”
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Conflicting narratives
When contacted, Dehradun police denied issuing any such directive. “We have not given any orders asking hotels to refuse rooms to interfaith couples. If such incidents are happening, we will look into them,” a senior police officer told ThePrint.
Hotels, however, maintain that the pressure is real even without official directives. Some managers fear retaliation not just from vigilante groups but also from local communities.
“We are not aware of complaints like this but still our teams are visiting hotels to ensure no illegal action is being taken against any guest. The law protects everyone, and no one should be denied accommodation based on religion,” another police official added.
In certain cases, staff have refused service preemptively, citing potential “law-and-order issues”.
“We are caught between the law and social pressure. Guests feel discriminated against, but we can’t risk damage or confrontations,” said a manager at a popular hotel near Rajpur Road.
Multiple couples, same complaint
This is not an isolated incident. A 26-year-old software engineer said she and her Muslim partner were asked to leave a guest house in Dehradun’s Mussoorie Road area. “They said it was ‘unsafe’ for us to stay. We were told, ‘We have been warned before, don’t take chances’,” she recalled.
In another case, two students from Jaipur faced hostility when checking into a lodge. The manager demanded proof of marriage, although the guests were only friends. “We felt humiliated,” said one of them. “It was as if staying in a hotel room itself was a crime.”
Similar patterns are now emerging in Nainital too, where some hotels, while not refusing rooms outright, are charging significantly higher tariffs from interfaith couples, making travel prohibitively expensive for them. “In some cases, the tariff is doubled the moment they see IDs,” said a local tour operator.
The ‘love jihad’ factor
The incidents have come to light in the backdrop of a legal and political push in Uttarakhand to target so-called ‘love jihad’ cases. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has repeatedly said, “No one involved in ‘love jihad’ will be spared,” signaling state backing for stricter policing of ‘forced’ interfaith marriages and conversions.
Though no law directly allows hotels to refuse rooms based on religion, the social climate and political rhetoric have emboldened vigilante groups.
“No hotel or restaurant can legally deny entry to anyone based on religion, caste, or gender. There’s absolutely no law that empowers them to do this—these are self-made, unconstitutional rules,” said Advocate Mohd Faiz, a legal expert. He explained that Article 15(2) of the Constitution guarantees every citizen access to public spaces including hotels, restaurants, shops, malls, and parks—without discrimination. “It’s not just a right, it’s a duty of the management to ensure no one is discriminated against,” he told ThePrint.
Yet the fear of public backlash or vigilante retaliation is deterring hotels from accommodating couples. Bajrang Dal members openly defend their interventions.
“We will not allow ‘love jihad’ to flourish in Devbhoomi. If hotels shelter such activities, we will expose them. This is about protecting our daughters and culture,” said a Bajrang Dal leader from Uttarakhand.
Over the past year, Hindu vigilante groups have increased their presence in Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Nainital, conducting surprise checks at hotels and lodges, sometimes threatening managers and staff. Social media posts from these groups often circulate screenshots of guests’ IDs, further intensifying the climate of fear.
A political science professor at the DBS (PG) College, Dehradun sees this as a social shift. “These groups are acting as parallel enforcers. Their presence creates a chilling effect not only on interfaith couples but on civil liberties broadly. It is a mix of moral policing and cultural nationalism that bypasses legal channels,” he said, requesting anonymity.
Civil rights activists argue that the trend violates fundamental rights. “Adults have the right to privacy and freedom of movement. Denying accommodation based on religious identity is discrimination, plain and simple. The state’s inaction emboldens vigilante groups,” said Ananya (who uses her first name only), a Uttarakhand-based activist working for women’s rights and civil liberties.
Local NGOs report receiving multiple complaints over the past six months. Some couples have been forced to leave hotels late at night, with little access to alternative lodging. Others have resorted to using private homestays to avoid confrontation.
Analysts warn that such incidents, normalised over time, could have wider societal effects. Fear of harassment discourages travel, curtails tourism, and fosters communal tension. Students and professionals from mixed-faith backgrounds are particularly vulnerable.
“This is a larger question of personal freedom versus social control,” said the professor. “When vigilante groups start dictating private spaces, it undermines the social contract. Hotels, which are private businesses, become arenas for public moral policing,” he added.
‘Travel a right, not a risk’
As Hindutva groups assert themselves more openly, experiences like the ones mentioned earlier are likely to increase. State authorities have so far declined to intervene decisively, leaving hotels to navigate between legal obligations and social pressure.
While police statements emphasise adherence to law, the presence of vigilante groups acts as a silent enforcement mechanism, ensuring compliance without formal regulations.
“We are monitoring all complaints. No hotel or individual should face harassment, and our teams will act if rights are violated,” said a senior Dehradun police officer.
Activists argue that the state must enforce anti-discrimination protections. Without intervention, young couples and tourists may face continued harassment, and private businesses may continue to self-censor. “This isn’t about love jihad,” said Ananya. “It’s about discrimination, intimidation, and erosion of constitutional freedoms. If the state does not act, citizens’ rights will remain under constant threat.”
Faiz advised that if anyone faces such discrimination, the correct response is to call 112 and seek police intervention. “If the situation doesn’t change, collect evidence and file a complaint before a magistrate or approach the high court. The law is very clear,” he said.
On the frequent invocation of ‘love jihad’ in such cases, Faiz said the concept is often misunderstood and misused.
“Love jihad isn’t a legal term. What states like Uttarakhand have are anti–forceful conversion laws. These laws don’t ban conversion or interfaith relationships—they only prohibit conversion through force, fraud, or allurement,” he explained.
He pointed out that under the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018, recently amended in August 2025, punishment for forced conversion has been increased to life imprisonment. The law also requires prior and post-conversion declarations to be submitted to the district magistrate.
“These laws are meant to protect voluntary choice, not to police love or interfaith friendships. Denying hotel entry under the pretext of love jihad has no legal standing,” Faiz said.
For now, interfaith couples traveling to Dehradun face limited options: risk confrontation at hotels, or avoid mainstream lodging altogether. The larger question—how private rights intersect with vigilante morality and political rhetoric—remains unresolved, casting a shadow over the hill state’s growing reputation as a tourism and education hub.
“Traveling should be a right, not a risk,” said the sociologist at DBS (PG) College, Dehradun. “If we allow fear and vigilante action to dictate private spaces, we are slowly eroding the very freedoms that democracy promises.”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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