The Maharashtra Government is planning to introduce a law against ‘love jihad,’ following the example of the Uttar Pradesh government. On Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis formed a special seven-member committee, led by the Director General of Police (DGP), to examine the provisions for creating this law.
The committee will investigate the legal and technical aspects related to instances of "love jihad" and submit its report to the state government.
Members of several departments, including women and child development, minority development, law and judiciary, social justice, special assistance department as well as the home department, have been included in the panel, as per the TOI.
“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.
In Maharashtra, there has been a long wait for a law against "Love Jihad" under the Fadnavis government. In October last year, CM Fadnavis had said that more than a lakh complaints had exposed a deliberate conspiracy of 'Love Jihad', in which Hindu women were being lured into marriage by men using fake identities.
'Love Jihad' is an informal term used by Hindu groups to refer to the alleged campaign by Muslim men to convert Hindu girls under the guise of love and marriage.
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Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had previously stated that Maharashtra plans to introduce a law against religious conversions, especially conversions that occur in interfaith marriages. Similar laws have been enacted in Uttar Pradesh and several other states.