Gujarat Assembly Passes 'Love jihad' Law
The Gujarat Assembly passed the Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 amendment Bill that seeks to penalise fraudulent religious conversion by marriage.
The bill says if a person found guilty he would be behind the bars for 3 to 10 years with a fine of up to 5 lakh rupees.
Government Views on Love Jihad
Piloting the amendment Bill within the house, Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said “the amendment was required to prevent people from luring Hindu girls into marriage with the intention of religious conversion” & expanded that “there is international finance being channelised to lure Hindu girls into marriage then their conversion.”
Opposition Views on the Bill
Opposition party leader (Congress) legislator Imran Khedavala, opposed the amendment, tore the copy of the Bill during the marathon debate on the bill.
Opposition party members opposed the amendment calling the BJP’s plank communal plank and a new way of suppressing minority while senior Congress legislator Gyasuddin Sheikh even produced over a dozen marriage certificates or affidavits of Hindu boys marrying Muslim girls.
State's Which Brought Law Against 'Love Jihad
Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, have introduced similar Bills to target ‘forced religious conversions which have in practice led to the targeting of interfaith couples. Other BJP ruled states have also pondered enacting similar laws.
Dark Side of the Bill
Love jihad first time appeared in Kerala, police investigated and found that there is no organisation working to convert Hindu girls religion, Love Jihaad is an imaginary word used where interfaith marriage happens if a boy is Muslim and the girl is from Hindu religion.
Many incidents we have seen in UP, where Hindutva organization beating interfaith couples taking the constitution in their hand, many Islamophobic targeting Muslims youths behind this law.
In almost all the cases registered under this law, Muslims were shown as culprits.
Laws against forceful conversion seem to be good if we implant them properly.
Many Hindu boys marrying Muslim girls but Love jihad seems to Muslim connected word.
Punishment Under Gujarat's Love Jihad Law
The amendment bill seeks to punish religious conversions promising a far better lifestyle, divine blessings and impersonation. The new ‘love jihad’ law would invite a jail term of 5 years and a Rs 2 lakh penalty on the forced conversion of young women. Just in case of a minor girl being converted, the punishment would go up to seven years in jail and a Rs 3 lakh penalty.
Written by - Salman Khalil
Edited by - Gunika Manchanda
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