The police in Uttar Pradesh stopped a Muslim man from marrying a Hindu woman in Lucknow despite the consent of their parents, saying they would first have to take permission from the state authorities under the new anti-conversion law that targets “love jihad”.a week after Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel approved the ordinance against unlawful conversion. The wedding was scheduled to take place in city’s Para area.
Senior police officer Suresh Chandra Rawat said the police reached the venue of the wedding after receiving information that a woman from one community was getting married to a man from another community. He said both the parties were called to the police station where police handed them a copy of the new ordinance and asked them to seek approval from the DM. He added that both the parties have given written consent that they will move ahead with things only after DM’s permission.
According to reports, the wedding was taking place with the consent of both the families and neither side had any plan to convert for the purpose of marriage. The reports further stated that the families plan to go ahead with the wedding after completion of all formalities.
Last week, an FIR was launched against a man in Bareilly for forcibly trying to convert a woman to Islam for the purpose of marriage. This was the first case registered against love jihad in the country and it came just a day after Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel approved the ordinance against the practice.
The Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Religious Conversion Prohibition Ordinance (2020) states that religious conversions that take place only for the purpose of marriage will be declared a crime. Those who decide to convert after marriage, the state government said, will have to inform the District Magistrate of their intention at least two months in advance.
According to the ordinance, forced conversion will be punished by up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₹ 15,000.
If the forced conversion involves a woman from marginalised communities, then the jail term will increase to between three and 10 years’ jail and a fine of ₹ 25,000. Mass conversions will attract a similar jail term and a fine of ₹ 50,000.
Twitter users flooded Twitter after this case –
https://twitter.com/Mohd_793/status/1334719193296592896
Here you go. UP 'Love Jihad' Ordinance is achieving exactly what it was meant to – disrupt inter-faith marriages even where there is consent from all sides.
The best part? Even according to this garbage law, it didn't apply to this particular case.
1/nhttps://t.co/hI7ksGLzo8— Vakasha Sachdev (@VakashaS) December 4, 2020
UP Police disrupt interfaith wedding in Lucknow – the new ‘love jihaad’ law is kicking in. A Hindu outfit complains, police exercise contentious powers @GaurVatsala https://t.co/912Gi2syCv
— Aman Sharma (@AmanKayamHai_) December 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/cbcnn_Pilid/status/1334727487767638022
In UP, Two people falling in love and their families arranging their marriage is not enough to get married if the couple are from different religions.
The District Magistrate will decide whether the couple should get married or not!! https://t.co/de4oKKsiSd— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) December 4, 2020
