Life Imprisonment For Love Jihad: Key Points of The Anti-Conversion Bill Passed by UP Assembly

Lucknow: The bill proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Yogi Adityanath government in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on ‘love jihad’ was passed uninterruptedly on Monday. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was tabled in the Assembly by the Yogi government proposing harsher punishment of life imprisonment in 'love jihad' cases. The move was widely welcomed by the BJP, while the opposition slammed the government over the bill calling it a "divisive" move by the BJP government. The Samajwadi Party leaders called the BJP government indulging in "negative politics".

This new law includes stringent provisions, with life imprisonment as a potential penalty for those found guilty of offences related to love jihad. Under the amended provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2024, if a person threatens, attacks, marries or promises to marry or conspires for it or traffics a woman, minor or anyone with the intention of conversion, then his crime will be placed in the most serious category. The amended bill provides for 20-year imprisonment or life imprisonment in such cases.

Govt Proposes Harsher Punishments Under New Bill

Earlier, the Yogi Adityanath-led government tabled the bill in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, stressing that the existing provisions under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, are "insufficient". The government proposed amendments to the existing bill, including the increase in punishment from a maximum of ten years to life imprisonment.

The new bill proposed punishments more harsher for the offenders making bail more difficult. Not only this, the new bill also widened the ambit to allow anyone to register a complaint in connection with the related cases in the state.

Provisions In The New Bill

After the amendments in the new bill, the amended provisions, if a person threatens, attacks, marries or promises to marry or conspires for it, or traffics a woman, minor or anyone with the intention of conversion, then his crime will be placed in the most serious category. The amended bill provides for 20-year imprisonment or life imprisonment in such cases. Earlier, a maximum punishment of 10 years and a fine of Rs 50,000 was provided under it.

Under the amended provision, now any person can register an FIR in conversion cases. Earlier, to give information or complaint in the case, the presence of the victim, parents, siblings was necessary, but now the scope has been increased. Now anyone can give information about it to the police in writing.

It has been proposed that such cases will not be heard by any court below sessions court and along with this, the bail plea will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor. Also, all the crimes in this have been made non-bailable.

An ordinance was issued for this in November 2020 and later, after the bill was passed by both the houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act-2021 came into force.

BJP Welcomes Amendments

The amendments proposed by the UP government have been welcomed by the BJP, saying that the move was a step taken in the right direction. However, the Samajwadi Party reportedly dubbed the move "divisive" that is aimed at creating "animosity" in the society. UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters as he reached the Assembly on Tuesday morning, that the proposed amendments should be welcomed as this would act as a "deterrent" against such practices.

BJP leader Mohsin Raza stated that the amendment of the law would help in tackling illegal religious conversions as there has been a surge in cases of 'love jihad' where impersonators hide their identity to marry a girl and then force her to convert.

The BJP leader asked: "If any impersonator plays with the life of your daughter, why shouldn't the culprit be held accountable? If an imposter marries any girl by hiding his identity and with malicious intent, why can't such people be brought to book."

UP BJP leader Mohsin Raza slammed the Opposition parties for "smelling a conspiracy" in the proposed law, saying, “A strict regulation is required to put an end to such practices. The BJP believes in 'sabka saath, sabka vikas.' It's unfortunate that the Opposition finds it communal and discriminatory. Their opposition to the ordinance is driven by their appeasement policy towards a certain religion."

Samajwadi Party Calls It Negative Politics

The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, hit out at the Yogi Adityanath-led government for proposing amendments in the existing laws concerning 'love jihad'. The party stated that the UP government's bid to make the law more stringent is nothing but negative politics.

Samajwadi Party leader Fakhrul Hasan Chand took to X to share a video message, saying, "UP already has a law on love jihad. If someone traps someone in his/her love trap with some motive, then there is a law for it but the BJP only wants to do negative politics. It does not want to do anything about unemployment and paper leak."

"Samajwadi Party understands that these are diversionary issues. These will not do any good to the people," the SP leader added.