At a Virat Hindu Sammelan, BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay fearmongered over an alleged “demographic shift” and demanded a Population Control Act, along with laws to grant and revoke citizenship, claiming they should be linked. He stated that it is acceptable for the country to be less developed if it is secure, asserting that internal threats are greater than external ones. He promoted the conspiracy theory of “love jihad,” alleging that Muslim men fake their identities and receive foreign funding. He claimed that “demographic changes” are driven by religious conversions, described madrasas as epicentres of such conversions, and demanded their closure. He also questioned the continued existence of madrasas and Christian missionary schools despite the end of Mughal and British rule. Citing anti-conversion laws in several states, he said that those involved should face severe punishment,claiming they should be hanged in Maharashtra. He asserted that, if he remains alive, he will work to make India “ghuspaith-mukt,” implement population control laws, and introduce the death penalty for those accused of “love jihad.” He further alleged that demographic changes are driven by “love jihad,” religious conversion, illegal immigration, rapid population growth, and what he termed “drug jihad,” warning that these could lead to another partition.