Uttar Pradesh Assembly Passes 'Love Jihad' Law
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Uttar Pradesh Assembly passes the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 |
| Key Provision | Maximum punishment of life imprisonment for offenders convicted under certain circumstances. |
| Specific Provisions | - 20 years' imprisonment or life sentence for conversions under threat, promise of marriage, or conspiracy. - Any person can register an FIR, not limited to parents, victims, or siblings. - Cases to be heard exclusively by sessions courts. - Crime is non-bailable. - Individuals wishing to convert voluntarily for marriage must notify the district magistrate two months in advance. |
| Historical Context | - Odisha (1967): First state to enact anti-conversion laws. - Madhya Pradesh (1968): Introduced the Dharma Swatantraya Adhiniyam. - Arunachal Pradesh (1978), Gujarat (2003), Chhattisgarh (2000, 2006), Rajasthan (2006, 2008), Himachal Pradesh (2006, 2019), Tamil Nadu (2002-2004), Jharkhand (2017), Uttarakhand (2018), Uttar Pradesh (2021), Haryana (2022). |
| Centre's Stand | - Union Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the right to religion does not include the right to convert others through fraudulent or coercive means. - Referred to Supreme Court's interpretation of Article 25. - No clarification on introducing a special law on religious conversions. |