Tara Sahdev and Ranjit Kumar Kohli Tara Sahdev and Ranjit Kumar Kohli

Despite the BJP dropping plans to discuss Love Jihad at a meeting in Uttar Pradesh last month, the party's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has put the controversial issue on the covers of Panchjanya and Organiser, its Hindi and English mouthpieces, respectively.

The Organiser cover features a photograph of Ranchi-based shooter, Tara Sahdev, who has accused her husband, Ranjit Kumar Kohli aka Rakibul Hassan, of forcing her to convert to Islam. The caption next to her photo asks: "Love Jihad Reality of Rhetoric?"

The more provocative Panchjanya cover has the photograph of a man wearing a kaffiyah (traditional Arab headdress) sporting a beard in the shape of a heart and sunglasses with a reflection of red hearts on them. "Pyar andha ya dhandha", says the cover. The Hindi text with the photograph says, "The story of Tara (Sahdev) forced to become Sara in Jharkhand has exposed the business of Jihad in the name of love. It is being said that the money from Gulf nations is the source of Love Jihad."

This is the first time the RSS has addressed the issue of Love Jihad which refers to the alleged phenomenon of forced or deceitful conversion of Hindu women to Islam by Muslim men. Hindu groups affiliated to the RSS, like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal, the Hindu Jagran Manch and Dharm Jagran Manch, have campaigned in the region on the issue.

The two cover stories came a week ahead of the crucial bypolls to 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled on September 13. Opposition parties have accused the BJP of fanning communal tension to polarise voters in the areas that vote next week.

On Thursday, the Allahabad High Court asked for replies from the UP government and the Election Commission of India to a PIL seeking a ban on the use of Love Jihad as a term. The PIL also asked for a ban on BJP leaders Kalraj Mishra and Yogi Adityanath from campaigning for the bypolls.