Now, Fadnavis govt moves to enact law against ‘love jihad’ | India News

Devendra Fadnavis (File photo)

Maha panel to frame law on ‘love jihad’
MUMBAI: Maharashtra govt on Friday set up a special seven-member committee headed by the DGP to frame a law against ‘love jihad.’A government resolution (GR) said that apart from the DGP, the panel would have six other members from various departments: one member each from the women and child development, minority development department, law and judiciary, social justice and special assistance department, and two home department representatives. The GR contained the term ‘love jihad.’
CM Devendra Fadnavis had said in the past that Maharashtra was planning to introduce a law against forced religious conversions, particularly in cases of inter-faith marriages through conversion (‘love jihad’), following similar legislations enacted in Uttar Pradesh and other states.
Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has opposed this move. He said the state govt lacks statistical evidence for such cases and is politicising the issue of forced conversion by labelling it as ‘jihad.’
The GR specified the committee’s responsibilities: evaluating the current situation, handling complaints about ‘love jihad’ and forced religious conversions, examining other states’ laws, establishing legal frameworks, and reviewing legal implications. The document mentioned requests from public representatives, organisations and citizens to prevent ‘love jihad’ and forced religious conversions.
The committee will analyse current circumstances and recommend measures regarding ‘love jihad’ complaints and forced conversions, whilst studying existing legal structures in other states to develop suitable legislation.
Shaikh said, “Earlier the govt came up with a proposal after stating that there were over one lakh cases of ‘love jihad’ in the state, but they were unable to find a single instance where they could file a police case. There is no data available to support any such claim, and I had raised this issue in the assembly. The govt is playing politics over the issue.”
When Fadnavis was deputy chief minister in the Mahayuti government in 2023, he had said, “Many cases have come up of girls getting married and converting. There is demand from all corners to make a law against this. Earlier, I had made an announcement in the House also. Accordingly, study of laws in various states is on and then the decision about it in Maharashtra will be taken.”