The statement came after the Uttar Pradesh government passed an order prescribing up to 10 years imprisonment for those found guilty of religious conversions by marriage, coercion, deceit, or enticement.
Claiming that the law on “Love Jihad” is nothing but a political stunt of Yogi Adityanath government.
“Love jihad is a political stunt. In our country, people choose their life partners irrespective of religion. Hindus marry Muslims and vice versa. However, the numbers are very low. But if you dig deep into ‘love jihad’ cases, you would find that girls know that boys are Muslims. But due to societal pressure or internal issues in the family, they lie and it becomes a case of Love Jihad,” he said.
The cabinet’s approval makes UP the first state to propose a law for regulating interfaith relationships.
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The Yogi Adityanath led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh passed the order on November 24, almost a month after the CM pledged to end “Love Jihad”.
The term “Love Jihad” is mostly used by the right-wing activists, according to which Muslim men marry Hindu women and later force them to embrace Islam. While, the term is trending these days, but neither the court nor the Union government officially recognizes the term.
After UP, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has also drawn up a bill to punish ‘Love Jihad’ with a 10-year imprisonment for inter-faith couples who are marrying with the intention to religiously convert.
According to Madhya Pradesh, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the Dharm Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill, 2020, would be tabled in the state Assembly during the session beginning from December 28.