Gujarat likely to table Bill against ‘Love Jihad’
The Gujarat authorities in all chance will table a Bill to amend the ‘Dharma Swatantrya’ (Freedom of Religion) Act, 2003 within the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly to fight forceful non secular conversions, higher often called ‘Love Jihad’. The modification will search to prohibit and punish non secular conversions promising a greater life, divine blessings, and impersonation.
After Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Pradesh handed an ordinance prohibiting pressured non secular conversion to verify what it calls ‘Love Jihad’, Gujarat can be likely to introduce a Bill to punish those that forcefully convert ladies on the pretext of marriage.
“The amendment to the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill will be presented in the ongoing Budget session with certain changes to combat ‘Love Jihad’,” Gujarat Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja had advised the press earlier.
The Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act (2003) seeks to take care of non secular conversion by way of allurement, pressure or by misrepresentation or by another fraudulent means. However, the state authorities believes that there have additionally been episodes of spiritual conversion promising higher way of life, divine blessings and impersonation. There is an rising pattern the place girls are lured to marriage for the aim of spiritual conversion, stated the state authorities.
According to the provisions of the proposed modification, whoever is discovered to be finishing up such non secular conversions by marriage, or getting an individual married or by aiding an individual to get married, shall be punished with imprisonment of not lower than three years and up to 5 years and also will be liable to pay a advantageous of Rs 2 lakh.
If the wedding is in respect of a minor, a lady or an individual from the SC or ST group, the punishment shall be imprisonment of a minimal of 4 years to a most of seven years and a advantageous of Rs 3 lakh.
Further, any such marriage carried out for the aim of illegal conversion by the particular person of 1 faith with the particular person of one other faith, both by changing himself or herself earlier than or after marriage, shall be declared void by the household courtroom or another comparable courtroom.
The provisions of the proposed modification additional states that if any establishment or organisation is discovered to be accountable for or answerable for such marriage, it shall be punished with imprisonment of minimal three years and up to 10 years and a advantageous of up to Rs 5 lakh.
Moreover, the provisions say that the burden to show {that a} non secular conversion was not affected by way of misrepresentation, pressure, undue affect, coercion, allurement or another fraudulent means shall lie on the accused and his or her facilitators.
The offence of such non secular conversion by way of marriage shall be thought-about cognisable and non-bailable and shall be investigated by an official above the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
“The Bill will prohibit and provide punishment for conversion by misrepresentation, undue influence, coercion, marriage or any fraudulent means. The Bill aims to control the menace of ‘Love Jihad’. It will punish all those who try to cheat girls by changing names,” Jadeja had advised the reporters earlier than the Budget session.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had additionally stated at a rally in Vadodara earlier than the native physique elections that the modalities for a legislation against ‘Love Jihad’ have been put in place.
Most most likely, the Bill will probably be tabled on April 1, the final day of the Budget session, in accordance to sources.
