Uttar Pradesh's 'Love Jihad' Bill: Controversy Ignites Amid Political Accusations

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2024, igniting political controversy as Samajwadi Party leaders accuse BJP of diversionary tactics. The bill intensifies penalties for forced conversion, with sentences up to life imprisonment.

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2024 on Tuesday, reigniting political controversy. Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of entangling politics and evading developmental issues. "What do you expect from them? They have to keep politics entangled in this. They are only doing politics because they don't want to develop," Yadav stated.

The bill, which aims to toughen anti-conversion laws, was passed to impose severe penalties, including life imprisonment, for forced or fraudulent religious conversions. Previously, the maximum sentence was ten years. According to the amended bill, penalties can now range up to 20 years or even life imprisonment for acts such as threatening, attacking, marrying, or trafficking with the intent to convert.

Introduced by UP Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna on July 29, 2024, the bill has faced staunch opposition from Samajwadi Party leaders. Fakhrul Hasan Chand criticized the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government for focusing on 'Love Jihad' rather than pressing issues like unemployment and examination paper leaks. In a self-made video, Chand said, "The BJP government has already established laws for 'Love Jihad.' Their focus on this ordinance aims to engage in negative politics and divert from real issues."

Chand further emphasized that such laws would not benefit the public, stating, "Samajwadi Party understands that these are diversionary issues. These will not do any good to the people."

(With inputs from agencies.)