UP govt passes stricter 'love jihad' law, includes life term

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday passed a bill to amend an anti-conversion law, making punishments harsher for those found guilty.
Yogi Adiyanath-led state government passed an amendment to the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act in the assembly -- the bill that parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna introduced on Monday.
The anti-conversion law, which earlier had a maximum punishment of 10 years with a fine of Rs 50,000 for fraudulent or forced conversion, will now have stricter provisions like life imprisonment.
The new changes to the law now target anyone who threatens, attacks, marries, promises to marry, conspires, or traffics a woman, minor, or any person with the intention of conversion, categorising these actions as severe crimes. Such offences will have penalties of 20 years to life imprisonment.
The amended provisions now allow any person to register an FIR in conversion cases, expanding the scope from the previous requirement where the victim, their parents, or siblings needed to lodge the complaint.
Now, anyone can inform the police about such cases in writing. "These cases will not be heard by any court below sessions court", states the amended bill.
Additionally, it highlights that bail pleas will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor, and all offenses under this act will be non-bailable.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath initiated this anti-conversion measure as part of efforts to curb what is termed "love jihad," referring to alleged forcible conversion under the guise of marriage.
An ordinance was first issued in November 2020, and after the bill was passed by both houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 came into effect.