Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has again decided to push the demand for an anti-conversion law in the state ahead of assembly polls. BJP leader Nitesh Rane said that the party leaders will soon meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and urge them to bring an anti-conversion law in Maharashtra.
"We all, aligning to the Hindutva ideology, will soon meet CM and Deputy CM. We want that the way cases of love jihad are increasing in the state, an anti-conversion law should be brought for which we will put more efforts," Rane said while speaking to reporters on Saturday.
The BJP leader made the statement in response to a media query on the passing of an amendment bill by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to its anti-conversion law on July 29. The Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 made the law stricter by providing for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for those found guilty of marrying a woman by deceiving her and illegally converting her religion.
This is not the first time Rane has pushed the demand for an anti-conversion law in the state.
Rane had demanded the enactment of such a law in the state in 2022 as well saying that incidents of conversion were on the rise in Maharashtra.
He had alleged that such men are being given rate cards, through which they are paid for luring Hindu women, adding that the Hindu women in the state are being targeted which requires the need of such a law.