'Gujarat to bring anti-conversion law soon'
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Gandhinagar, Feb 16: "Gujarat will bring an anti-'love jihad' law soon", Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said. He said this while addressing a public gathering at the Tarsali area of Vadodara. "Our government will introduce ‘love jihad’ Act in assembly so that such activities are not tolerated in future," Rupani said.
If Rupani follows through, Gujarat will be the third state to enact a law to prevent forced conversions. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have already enacted similar laws.
Amid the raging controversy over 'love jihad' and laws to stop forced conversions, the Allahabad High Court during a hearing had observed that "conversion just for the purpose of marriage is unacceptable".
Last year in November, Uttar Pradesh was the first state to bring a law to stop forced conversions in the name of marriage, in November last year. It prohibits "conversion or attempts 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."
This was followed by Madhya Pradesh that passed a similar ordinance in January this year. 23 cases were lodged within the first 23 days of it coming into force.
The majority of the complaints are by women who allege they were duped into a relationship, but a few are over alleged attempts at conversion through force or allure.