Big move by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh Cabinet clears Love Jihad Bill; 10 years imprisonment for violators

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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Saturday (December 26) Freedom of Religion Bill 2020 in a special meeting chaired by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"Under the new Bill, forcing religious conversion on someone will attract 1-5 yrs of imprisonment and a minimum Rs 25,000 fine," Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra was quoted by ANI. 

"Under the new MP Freedom of Religion Bill 2020, forced conversion of a minor, woman or a person from Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, would draw a minimum jail term of 2-10 years with a minimum penalty of Rs 50,000," Mishra said.

With this development, Madhya Pradesh has become the third BJP-ruled state to clear anti-Love Jihad bill after Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. 

In November, the Uttar Pradesh government approved a draft ordinance to curb forced religious conversions, including those for the sake of marriages between two communities. Under the new law, a marriage will be declared null and void if the conversion of woman is solely for a purpose. The state government said the law aims to prohibit religious conversion done using dishonest means like false representation, through force, influence, torture, allurement or for the sake of marriage.

In recent weeks, Haryana and Karnataka have also revealed plans to enact laws to counter alleged attempts to convert Hindu women to Islam in the guise of marriage, which party leaders often refer to as 'love jihad'.