Gujarat govt to table Love Jihad bill in ongoing session: State HM Jadeja confirms rethink

On Monday, Gujarat's Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja said that in order to control the menace of 'Love Jihad' the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) bill with amendments will be presented in the ongoing budget session of the state Assembly. If the bill is implemented, Gujarat will become the third state to enact a law to prevent forced conversions after Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. 

“We will be presenting the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) bill with amendments in this budget session in Vidhan Sabha. This bill will prohibit and provides for punishment for conversion by misrepresentation, undue influence, coercion, marriage or any fraudulent means. The bill aims to control to menace of Love Jihad. It will punish all those who try to cheat Hindu girls by changing names,” Jadeja told ANI.

Earlier, reports had indicated that the state's legal department had opined against enacting such a bill, either by bringing in a new one or by amending the existing anti-conversion law, on account of such a 'love jihad' law purportedly being legally unsustainable. Now there appears to have been a rethink, which was also signaled by the CM at a rally.

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While addressing a rally in Vadodra last month Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that preparations have been made for a law against 'love jihad'. 

“Preparations have been made for a stringent law against ‘love jihad’. We will bring a Bill on this issue in the upcoming Assembly session. The manner in which girls are being lured, will not go on for long,” Rupani said, reported ANI.

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UP Becomes First State To Bring Anti- 'Love Jihad' Law

On November 28, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has promulgated 'Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020' days after it was passed by the cabinet led by Yogi Adityanath. Several other BJP-ruled states like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam have also prepared drafts to pass similar laws. Yogi Adityanath had announced during UP by-poll campaign that his administration will bring a law that prevents forced conversion for marriage, terming it to be 'Love-Jihad'. The UP government's bill has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

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Gujarat Assembly Session

A month-long budget session of the Gujarat legislative assembly started on March 1 with Governor Acharya Devvrat’s address to the house. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who holds the portfolio of the Finance ministry, tabled the budget on Tuesday. The state's budget session will continue till April 1.

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(With ANI Inputs)