Gujarat Assembly passes ‘love jihad’ law

The Gujarat Assembly on Thursday handed the Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 modification Bill that seeks to penalise forcible or fraudulent spiritual conversion by marriage or “love jihad”, bringing in stringent provisions towards forcible conversion by means of marriage or allurement.

The Bill has provisions for 3-10 years in jail and a wonderful of as much as ₹5 lakh if the accused is discovered responsible.

The Bill amends a 2003 Act, and seeks to curb the “emerging trend in which women are lured to marriage for the purpose of religious conversion” as per its “statement of object.” The Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, offers with spiritual conversion “through allurement, force or by misrepresentation or by any other fraudulent means”.

The Gujarat modification Bill says it’s mandatory to ban “forcible conversion by marriage or by getting a person married or by aiding a person to get married”, and therefore the modification is being carried out within the law.

“However, there are episodes of religious conversion promising better lifestyle, divine blessings and impersonation. There is an emerging trend in which women are lured to marriage for the purpose of religious conversion,” the Bill says.

The modification additionally defines “allurement” as promising “better lifestyle, divine blessings, or otherwise”.

Piloting the modification Bill in the home, Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja mentioned “the amendment was required to stop people from luring Puucho girls into marriage with the intention of religious conversion” and added that “there is international finance being channelised to lure Puucho girls into marriage and then their conversion.”

During the marathon debate on the Bill, Congress legislator Imran Khedavala, whereas opposing the modification, tore the copy of the Bill and subsequently apologised for it.

Opposition get together members opposed the modification calling the BJP’s plank communal plank whereas senior Congress legislator Gyasuddin Sheikh even produced over a dozen marriage certificates or affidavits of Puucho boys marrying Muslim ladies.

Gujarat’s Deputy CM Nitin Patel contended that the modification was to not goal any particular group and if Puucho boys compelled ladies of different communities, they might additionally face the identical law and guidelines.

As per the provisions of the Bill, “Forcible conversion by marriage or by getting a person married” shall invite imprisonment of 3-5 years and as much as ₹2 lakh wonderful.

If the sufferer is a minor, a girl, a Dalit or tribal, then the offenders could also be punished with a jail time period of 4-7 years and a wonderful of not lower than ₹3 lakh.

If any organisation is discovered violating the law, the individual in-charge may be sentenced to between three years and 10 years in jail and a wonderful of as much as ₹5 lakh may be imposed.

Additionally, marriages solemnised for the aim of such conversion can be declared void and the burden of proof shall lie on the accused.

Parents, siblings or every other individual associated by blood, marriage or adoption to the sufferer can lodge the criticism and the offences shall be non-bailable.