Row over Hindu names on Muslim wedding cards in UP, venue told to cancel nikah

A wedding in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district became the centre of a controversy after a marriage invitation card bearing Hindu names of two Muslim grooms went viral on social media.

On Thursday, Anil, a resident of Haryana's Hisar district, and Sanjay, a resident of Jind district, arrived in Gangoh with their respective wedding processions. The two grooms are maternal cousins. Members of the brides' family welcomed them, and the nikah ceremonies began in the presence of police personnel.

Both sisters got married without any disruption.

The two real sisters were scheduled to get married on November 12. However, their wedding invitation cards went viral on social media, triggering controversy after people noticed the names Anil and Sanjay, which are traditionally associated with Hindu families.

Although both men belong to Muslim families, their parents named them following Hindu naming traditions.

Some people called the garden operator and pressured him to cancel the wedding venue booking. They also threatened to obstruct the nikah ceremonies. The name of Rohit Pradhan, district president of the Hindu Suraksha Seva Sangh, was also reportedly mentioned in connection with the threats.

Following the incident, the brides' family submitted a complaint at the Gangoh police station against two people and sought action.

The grooms' family members said their tradition of giving children Hindu names dates back to the 1947 Partition.

According to them, during the Partition, Hindu families in their village saved their ancestors' lives by concealing their Muslim identity and identifying them as Hindus. The family said it began naming its children according to Hindu traditions in memory of the brotherhood and support extended by those Hindu families. The tradition has continued across generations.

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, police personnel were deployed outside the wedding venue to maintain law and order during the ceremonies.

Circle Officer Shailendra Pratap Gautam said the police were monitoring the situation and had deployed personnel at the garden as a security measure. He confirmed that nobody protested during the nikah and all the wedding rituals were completed peacefully.

Several people attended the wedding, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) block president Haji Tahseen Chaudhary, city president Mehrban Qureshi and Sarfaraz.

The police also made it clear that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disturb law and order or obstruct the wedding ceremony.

With both sisters' marriages completed without any disruption, the controversy triggered by the Hindu names on the wedding invitation cards came to an end.

However, the controversy ended peacefully on Thursday as two Muslim sisters from Gangoh married the Haryana-based men amid police security.- EndsWith inputs from Anil Kumar Bharadwaj