Anti-conversion law to be tabled in UP Budget session

LUCKNOW: The state cabinet gave its nod for tabling the ordinance on “forced” or “fraudulent” religious conversions — which was promulgated by the UP government in November last year — in the upcoming Budget session of UP assembly beginning February 18. This would allow the state government to push a bill and turn the ordinance into a law passed by the state legislature.
Chife Minister Yogi Adityanath has been an ardent proponent of bringing in a law to check such conversions for marriage.In the recent months, BJP-run states like Haryana and Madhya Pradesh too had brought in laws to counter alleged attempts to convert Hindu women to Islam in the guise of marriage, which the right wing forces refer to as “love jihad”.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020 provides for a jail term of up to 10 years for any violation.
All the offences under the ordinance shall be cognisable, non-bailable and triable by the court of sessions.
The ordinance states that no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage, nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion.
If any person reconverts to their immediate previous religion, the same shall not be deemed to be a conversion under the ordinance.
Any aggrieved person, parents, brother, sister, or any relative may lodge an FIR over such a conversion.
In another decision, the cabinet decided to table a bill on “UP Recovery of damage to public properties” to make it a law in the forthcoming session of UP assembly.
The state government had brought in an ordinance to this effect for recovery of losses due to damage to government and private properties during political processions.
The decision was taken in the wake of protest during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act in Lucknow and elsewhere.