Would be better if UP govt reconsiders Love Jihad law: Mayawati states BSP's demand to BJP

After UP Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday gave assent to an ordinance against forcible or fraudulent religious conversions, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000 under different categories, BSP chief Mayawati has asked the UP government to reconsider the 'Love Jihad' law.  

Taking to Twitter, the former Chief Minister said that the government brought the ordinance in "haste" and is "full of apprehension" whereas forcible and deceitful conversion anywhere in the country has neither special recognition nor acceptance. "Many laws are already in effect in this regard. The government should reconsider this and that is the demand of BSP," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

She also said it would be better if the Central government reconsiders the three newly-enacted legislation, stating that the farmers are agitating throughout the country as these laws were made without their consent. "Farmers are quite angry and agitating throughout the country, expressing their disagreement about the recently enacted three laws related to agriculture by the Central government. In view of this, if the Union government reconsiders these laws, made without the consent of the farmers, it would be better," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

UP becomes first state to have a law against 'love jihad'

The promulgation of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 came days after the Yogi Adityanath government had approved a draft of the ordinance which also curbs religious conversions only for the sake of marriage.

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According to the ordinance, a marriage will be declared "null and void" if the conversion of a woman is solely for that purpose and those wishing to change their religion after marriage needs to apply to the district magistrate. It also has a provision under which if someone returns to their original religion, it shall not be deemed a conversion. While the onus to prove that the conversion has not been done forcibly will lie on the person accused of the act and the convert, it said.

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, all the offences under this ordinance shall be cognisable and non-bailable and triable by the sessions court, the ordinance said. In recent weeks, BJP-run states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have revealed plans to enact laws to counter alleged attempts to convert Hindu women to Islam in the guise of marriage, which is referred to as "love jihad".

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