Meerut: A young man and woman in Uttar Pradesh were harassed, interrogated and humiliated in a display of unchecked moral policing by members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, the right-wing group founded by incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath.

The group barged into a building in Meerut and attacked the interfaith couple. In a video of the incident, the police are also seen at the spot. "Where are you from? What are you doing here? Name your baap (father). What is your brother's name? Sister's name?" - the nervous couple is bombarded with these questions by members of the group.

When the young man answers these questions, the activists demand to know - "Why are your family's names different from yours? Have you converted?" The couple was reportedly then taken to the police station. The young woman was seen covering her face while being led away by policewomen.

"We opened a lock and saw the two in a compromising state. These rooms are rented out for suspicious activities," alleged Nagendra Pratap Singh, who led the Hindu Yuva Vahini group.

"Those who rent the rooms and those who own them should be verified by the police," he demanded. Yogi Adityanath, who set up the Hindu Yuva Vahini in 2001, describes it as a "cultural organisation". The group has been accused of moral policing and harassment of couple. It is also at the forefront of religious conversions that its activists described as "ghar wapasi" or homecoming.

Though the 44-year-old Chief Minister has distanced himself from the group now, one of his first moves after taking power was to order anti-Romeo squads of the police, a poll promise aimed at protecting women from harassment. The drive became controversial as the teams were accused of shaming couples in public places.