MP government will bring law against 'Love Jihad': State home minister Narottam Mishra

The Madhya Pradesh government is soon going to bring a law against 'Love Jihad' in the next session of the assembly. State home minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday informed that the law will provide for five years of rigorous imprisonment to the culprits. The bill will be introduced in the next session of the assembly.

"We are making preparations to introduce Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020 in Assembly. It'll provide for 5 yrs of rigorous imprisonment. We're also proposing that such crimes be declared a cognizable & non-bailable offence," the minister said.

The minister added that under the law, the kin of the person who has been converted will have to file a complaint for action. 

"Under the law, the person who has been converted, their parents/siblings will have to mandatorily file a complaint for action. A religious leader who is converting the person will have to inform District Magistrate one month in advance. We'll introduce this Bill in the next session," he added.

The law will have a provision to declare the marriages which have taken place forcefully out of fraud null and void. "There will be provision to declare marriages taking place forcefully, out of fraud or by tempting someone, for religious conversion, null and void. Those assisting in committing this crime will also be considered a party to the crime," Mishra informed.

This comes weeks after the Uttar Pradesh government announced that it will bring a law to deal with 'Love Jihad'. On October 31, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that the state government will work to curb love jihad and bring a law.

"The Allahabad HC has said that religious conversion isn’t necessary for marriage. The government will also work to curb ‘love jihad’ and we will make a law. I warn those who conceal identity and disrespect our women that if you don’t mend your ways, your ‘Ram naam satya’ (chants during funeral) journey will begin," Adityanath said.

In a recent judgement on a petition filed by a married couple, the Allahabad High Court has observed that conversion just for the purpose of marriage is unacceptable. Priyanshi alias Samreen and her partner had in their writ petition, sought directions to the police and the girl's father not to interfere in their married life.

Dismissing the petition filed by the married couple, HC said, “The court has found the first petitioner (the woman) has converted her religion on June 29, 2020, and solemnised marriage on July 31, which clearly reveals the conversation has taken place only for the purpose of marriage.'