Law against 'love jihad' in Maharashtra soon? 7-member committee formed
The committee, which will be headed by the Maharashtra Director General of Police, will suggest measures to tackle complaints related to forced conversions and 'love jihad'.
The Maharashtra government has formed a seven-member committee to examine the legal framework for a potential law against forced religious conversions and cases of "love jihad". The panel, headed by the state Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Verma, includes senior officials from key departments, such as women and child welfare, minority affairs, law and judiciary, social justice, special assistance, and home.
According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued late on Friday, the committee will suggest measures to tackle complaints related to forced conversions and "love jihad". It will also review existing laws in other states and recommend legal provisions.
The issue of love jihad, alleged cases of Muslim men luring Hindu women to convert them, has been raised by the BJP-led ruling coalition in Maharashtra following the Shraddha Walkar case.
Walkar, a 27-year-old woman from Maharashtra, was allegedly murdered, and her body was chopped into multiple pieces by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala in 2022.
The state government's decision to set up the committee has come under fire from the opposition, with NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule saying that to "marry or love is a personal choice".
"I request the government to focus on real issues. Prime Minister Modi just returned from the US, and America has imposed new tariffs, which will impact our country. The government should pay attention to such matters and focus on the economic situation," Sule said.
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| CM Fadnavis |
Defending the government's move, BJP MLA Mangal Lodha emphasised that "love jihad" cases were increasing across the country.
"We all saw how many pieces Shraddha Walkar was cut into. There are many such cases in Maharashtra. When we try to stop Love Jihad, the opposition has a problem," Lodha said.
Congress leader Husain Dalwai asserted that forced conversions do not happen and "love jihad" was a myth.
"Democracy allows everyone to follow any religion. Our country is secular, but some people want to destroy the fabric of our culture. Let them show how many cases of love jihad they have actually seen. These people want to bring Hitler’s culture into our country," the Congress leader said.
Criticising the BJP, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi said that the government was solely focused on harassing Muslims and spreading communalism.
"They want to give freedom for live-in relationships, but if someone over 18 wants to have an interfaith marriage or convert, they have a problem with it. There is no such thing as love jihad," Azmi said.
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