Maharashtra to have law against ‘love jihad’ soon? Special committee set up

With an aim to “to prevent love jihad and fraudulent or forced conversions” the government of Maharashtra led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has set up a special seven-member committee headed by the state police chief Rashmi Shukla. Following in the footsteps of the Uttar Pradesh government, Maharashtra set up the special committee on Friday to draft a law against ‘love jihad’.

Apart from Maharashtra’s Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla, the committee will have six other members, including the secretaries of four state government departments — women and child welfare, law and judiciary, minority welfare, and social justice. It will also comprise two officers from the home and law departments.

What is Love Jihad?

The government’s step against ‘love jihad’ came on a day which is observed globally as a day to celebrate love! The state government’s main aim behind the decision is to allegedly control marriage between Hindu girls and Muslim men, as per sources in the state government. Love jihad is a controversial term used to indicate that Muslim men are luring Hindu women to marry them and convert them to Islam.

Step to curb ‘Love Jihad’ in Maharashtra

The decision comes after several serving and former elected representatives raised concerns about supposed instances of love jihad, inter-religious marriages and forced conversions within the state. The committee will study similar laws enacted by other states such as Uttar Pradesh and prepare a draft of such legislation. It will also suggest measures to tackle the issue.

As per a Government Resolution (GR) issued late on Friday, the seven-member committee will study the prevailing situation in Maharashtra and suggest steps to tackle the complaints of ‘love jihad’ and forced conversions. The committee will also look at legal aspects and the laws framed in other states. Accordingly, it will recommend legislation to prevent forced conversions and instances of ‘love jihad’.

“Various organisations in the State and some citizens submitted representations regarding enacting a law to prevent love jihad and fraudulent or forced conversions. Some States in India have also enacted laws to prevent love jihad and fraudulent or forced conversions,” the government order read. However, there is no specific time frame for the report.

Fadnavis vocal against “love jihad”

Present Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had long called for a law against ‘love jihad’ in Maharashtra. Before the elections last year, Fadnavis said there were over one lakh complaints against forced conversations, which showed a deliberate ‘love jihad’ conspiracy where Hindu women were being lured into marriage by Muslim men using fake identities.

Law against ‘love jihad’ in Uttar Pradesh

The UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which imposes a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh on violators, was approved by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on in July last year.

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh administration proposed a life sentence for anyone found guilty of these offenses in an amendment to the state’s current ‘love jihad’ legislation on Monday. Additionally, the bill adds new offenses to the concept of ‘love jihad’, all of which are punishable by life in prison.

Previously, a maximum sentence of 10 years along with a fine of Rs 50,000 was imposed on individuals found guilty of marrying a woman by tricking her and changing her faith.