A senior Indian government minister has called for discussions between religious leaders of claims that Muslim boys are seducing and eloping with Hindu girls as part of a "love jihad" to convert them to Islam.
Uma Bharti, a veteran leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, said talks were necessary to protect young men and women in both communities.
"Elders of the two communities must sit together and find a solution to the issue," said Ms Bharti, who is also India's water resources minister.
"There is a need to ensure that the future of boys and girls of either community is not jeopardised in any way."
Her comments were made amid growing protests by the BJP and other Hindu nationalist parties in Uttar Pradesh, where communal riots broke out in September last year. The riots pitched Muslim and Hindu teenagers against each other, over a claims that a female relative had been sexually harassed. More than 60 people were killed in the violence and 50,000 fled their homes and cannot return.
Tensions between the Hindu and Muslim communities have remained high since then and have escalated in recent weeks.
On Sunday Hindu political groups attacked two police stations over claims that an alleged "love jihadi" – accused of eloping with a Hindu girl to convert her to his religion – was being given "VIP treatment" by the community.
Allegations of Muslim fundamentalist groups waging a "love jihad" date back to 2009 when the state government in Karnataka and the High Court in Kerala called for an investigation into claims that young, handsome Muslim men were seducing Hindu and Christian girls as part of a crusade to convert them.
The Islamic the Popular Front of India and another group called the Campus Front were accused but both denied the campaign.
Shaheed Siddiqui, a former MP and senior Muslim community leader in Uttar Pradesh said there was no evidence to support claims of a "love jihad" and accused the minister, Uma Bharti, of using the issue to provoke religious unrest.
"It is not for religious leaders to decide if love jihad exists," he said. "By its nature it means a conspiracy, a planned thing with ulterior motives, and that is something for the police and intelligence agencies to go into.
"How does she [Ms. Bharti] come into the picture? She is trying to put fuel on the fire."
Sanjoy Sachdev, founder of the Love Commandos group which protects young lovers against "honour killings" by angry relatives, said it was a matter for individuals to decide whether they want to elope with someone.
India's Supreme Court had ruled that mixed-religion and inter-caste marriages were in the country's national interest.
"It's everybody's personal choice," he said. "In a love marriage, conversion is never forced."