BSP President Mayawati Requests UP Govt To 'Reconside' New Anti-conversion Law

BSP President Mayawati on Monday has put forth a request for the Uttar Pradesh government to "reconsider" the new anti-conversion law, saying it is full of "doubts and apprehensions". The UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance (2020), which is aimed at curbing cases of love jihad, became effective in the state on last Saturday. The first case has already been registered in Bareilly district, based on a complaint from the father of a young woman.

“The ordinance regarding religious conversion brought by UP government in haste against love jihad is full of doubts. In the country, forceful and deceitful religious conversion is not acceptable. Many laws are already in place regarding the issue. The government should reconsider the decision on the law. The BSP demands,” Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

लव जिहाद को लेकर यूपी सरकार द्वारा आपाधापी में लाया गया धर्म परिवर्तन अध्यादेश अनेकों आशंकाओं से भरा जबकि देश में कहीं भी जबरन व छल से धर्मान्तरण को न तो खास मान्यता व न ही स्वीकार्यता। इस सम्बंध में कई कानून पहले से ही प्रभावी हैं। सरकार इस पर पुनर्विचार करे, बीएसपी की यह माँग।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) November 30, 2020

Her remarks came following a statement released on Sunday by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi stating that the father of a woman, Tikaram has allegedly accused a man named Uvaish Ahmed of the same village of trying to convert his daughter.

According to the new law, if proven guilty, the accused will face a jail term of one to five years, with Rs 15,000 penalty for religious conversion for marriage or through force. It also mandates a jail term of 3-10 years with Rs 25,000 penalty for conversion of minors and women of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes community,.

Though a political term but the alleged love jihad cases have been in the news ever since leaders in several states have announced the possible introduction of a punishable law against this practice. It refers to the cases in which the Hindu girls’ parents claim that Muslim youths force their girls to convert in the guise of love. Read more on that here.

Also Read: SIT Probe Into ‘Love Jihad’ Cases In Kanpur Finds No Conspiracy Angle Or Foreign Funding: Report

Feature Image Credit: theuniversealnews.com

Read More Stories By Ria Das