Hindu nationalist activists, led by Sachin Gaikwad, attempted to create communal tensions by framing an elopement as a case of ‘love jihad.’ Gaikwad assured the woman’s mother that he would mobilise 500 men to reach the police station and declared that the “jihadis” would not be allowed to win. When the mother stated that she wanted the Muslim man killed for eloping with her daughter, Gaikwad claimed they had over 1,000 men who could carry it out.