MP: Villagers declare social boycott over love marriages; authorities step in

Vartha Bharati | 27-01-2026 | 11:00:00 IST

Image Credit: FREEPIK

Ratlam (PTI): Residents of a village in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district have announced a social boycott of couples who elope for marriage, prompting authorities to order action against those who issued the diktat.

A video related to the issue has gone viral on social media.

The diktat was issued on January 23 in Pancheva, about 50 kilometres from the district headquarters, with residents claiming the social boycott decision was taken after eight couples from the village eloped and got married in the past six months.

A video showed a man announcing that young men and women who elope and marry for love, as well as their families, will be socially boycotted and not invited to any event. Even those helping such persons will face the same action, he further stated.

Other actions, as declared by the man in the clip, included denying employment to such couples as well as daily necessities like milk.

Collector Misha Singh on Monday said people in the video have been identified and the police have been asked to take action against them.

"Our probe has indicated that the decision against love marriages was taken not by the Gram Sabha, but by the villagers themselves," she added.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vivek Kumar Lal said these people are being "bound over" (making it legally binding on a person to maintain good conduct and not disturb peace).

Further action will be taken after a detailed investigation, he added.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.

Tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub derogatory, communal: Delhi HC

08-04-2026 ¦ 08-04-2026 IST

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday termed certain tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub "highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal" as it sought her stand on a petition seeking removal of the allegedly objectionable content from social media.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was hearing a lawyer's petition alleging that Ayyub's tweets insulted Hindu Deities and "revered historical figures", observed that even an FIR was also directed to be registered against her in relation to the tweets and called upon the Centre, Delhi Police and X to "work in tandem" and "do the needful in 24 hours".

"Let the matter be called day after. Action is necessary in view of the highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal tweets by respondent no. 4 (Ayyub), pursuant to which FIR has also been directed against respondent no. 4 by a court of competent jurisdiction," the court ordered.

Observing that the "matter requires consideration", the court issued notice to the Centre, Ayyub as well as X on the petition seeking the immediate removal of the "highly derogatory, inflammatory, and communal tweets" by Ayyub.

The court also made Delhi Police a party to the case.

Petitioner Amita Sachdeva said she is a devout follower of the Sanatan Dharm, and on her complaint, a magisterial court had already directed the registration of an FIR while holding that the journalist's tweets prima facie disclose cognisable offences under the Indian Penal Code.

The plea said the petitioner approached X's resident grievance officer as well as the Grievance Appellate Committee for the removal of the content.

However, the committee declined to grant relief, stating the matter was sub-judice, it added.

The petitioner said the continued public availability of the tweets has caused continuing and direct injury to her religious sentiments and violated her fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 21 (Right to life and liberty) and 25 (Freedom of religion) of the Constitution.

In January 2025, a magisterial court directed Delhi Police to register an FIR against Ayyub for allegedly making derogatory posts in 2016-17 that included "insults to Hindu deities, spreading of anti-India sentiment and incitement of religious disharmony."

In an order dated January 25, 2025, it said, "From the facts of the case, prima facie cognisable offences are made out under sections 153 A (punishment for promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 505 (statements conducing public mischief) of the IPC."