LUCKNOW: Yogi Adityanath government is in the process of bringing in an ordinance to check 'love jihad' -- the forced religious conversions as a pre-condition for inter-faith marriages.
As per the informed sources, the draft of the ordinance has been prepared and sent to the ministry of law and justice for its perusal after being approved, in principle, by CM Yogi Adityanath. It might get promulgated very soon.
During his recent campaign bypolls, CM Yogi had promised to bring in a law to stop the practice of ‘love jihad’ in the state which has witnessed a spurt in such cases in the recent past.
The CM, at a recent election rally in Jaunpur, had warned that his government would not allow the daughters and sisters being forced to convert to other religions as a pre-condition for marriage. Yogi had gone to the extent of even saying "those indulging in such nefarious activities might face the harshest punishment.”
Even the Allahabad High Court had also lamented in an order that conversion for the sole purpose of marriage was an unlawful practice and unacceptable.
As per the sources, even before coming out with his warning over ‘love jihad’ and the observation made by the High Court, the UP government had proceeded with a roadmap for bringing an ordinance to check the religious conversions. The government had already asked the law department and the State Law Commission to present their point of view.
According to UP Law Minister Brajesh Pathak, such issues were disturbing the communal harmony in the state and that it needed to be taken seriously. “The government had already planned to take this up as law and the procedure has started," he claimed.
"It will be a warning for those to refrain from such acts, else they will have to bear the brunt. We can't reveal the facts but the government will make a very strict law with high penalty and imprisonment. The draft is being prepared as the only way to deal with the issue is through a stringent law," said the
minister.
UP Minister for Minority Affairs Mohsin Raza said, "In UP, it won't be possible to deceive girls into changing their religion anymore. This is a stern message to those jihadis who are indulging in such acts knowingly under an agenda. There is full preparation to put these people in jail now."
Following the announcement made by Adityanath against 'love jihad', CMs of other BJP ruled states including MP's Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Haryana's Manohar Lal Khattar had also made similar announcements.