Summary:
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a draft ordinance to check “unlawful religious conversions” and “inter-faith marriages with the sole intention of changing a girl’s religion”, with provision for jail term of up to 10 years.
According to the “Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Virudh Dharma Samparivartan Pratishedh Adyadesh 2020” (prohibition of unlawful religious conversion), a marriage will be declared “shunya” (null and void) if the “sole intention” was to “change a girl’s religion”.
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Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a draft ordinance to check “unlawful religious conversions” and “inter-faith marriages with the sole intention of changing a girl’s religion”, with provision for jail term of up to 10 years.
According to the “Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Virudh Dharma Samparivartan Pratishedh Adyadesh 2020” (prohibition of unlawful religious conversion), a marriage will be declared “shunya” (null and void) if the “sole intention” was to “change a girl’s religion”.
“Those getting the conversion done in violation of the provisions of the proposed law would have to face jail term of up to 10 years,” said a government statement.
If it is found that the conversion is done “forcibly, through atrocity or cheating”, the offence will be non-bailable.
“The Cabinet has taken a big decision… it was necessary for maintaining normal law and order in the state and to ensure justice for women, especially those from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,” said Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Sidharth Nath Singh, who is also the government spokesperson.
“More than 100 cases of forcible conversions have come to light.
The way in which religious conversions are done using deceit, lies, force and dishonesty is heart wrenching, and it was necessary to have a law in this regard,” he said.
Singh said the proposed law has provision for jail term of 1 to 5 years, and a minimum fine of Rs 15,000.