The MP’s “Love Jihad” legislation might include provisions on upkeep and attachment of the defendant’s property

Madhya Pradesh Prime Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speaks at an event in Agar Malwa on November 22nd Twitter | @ChouhanShivraj

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Bhopal: To outperform other states ruled by the BJP in introducing a stricter one ‘Love Jihad’ lawThe Madhya Pradesh government has announced that it will add provisions on the attachment of the defendant’s property and the payment of alimony to the victim in the event of talaq (Divorce).

“The Love Jihad bill will soon appear in front of the cabinet. We have added many provisions that are not in the laws of other states. We will add the attachment of property (the defendant), and in the case of talaq, Maintenance must be given. We are also considering whether a abandoned person (alleged victim of “love jihad”) can get maintenance, ”Interior Minister Narottam Mishra told reporters on Sunday.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government already has announced That the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act 2020 will be tabled at the three-day session of the Congregation beginning December 28th.

Both the CM and the Home Secretary have referenced on the proposed bill called “Love Jihad” law.

On Saturday, Chouhan discussed the format of the bill with top officials in the Secretariat. Mishra was not present, however.

“No person in the state will be able to convert anyone from one religion to another through marriage or other deceptive means through intimidation, deception or violence directly or otherwise,” the CM said in a statement before drafting some provisions .

The draft law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years and shifts the burden of proof – that no conversion has taken place – on the defendant.

In addition to the person concerned, parents or blood relatives can also file a complaint. The offense is recognizable, not punishable and only the court hearing will take up the case. A marriage with the intention of conversion is declared null and void.

The bill provides for a prison sentence of between two and ten years if the victim is a minor, female, or a member of the SC / ST community, and a fine of at least Rs 50,000.

Attempts to hide one’s religion are punished with a prison sentence of three to ten years and a fine of at least 50,000 rupees.

Mass conversions (of two or more people) result in prison terms of five to ten years and a fine of at least Rs 1 lakh.

Also read: Why Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi did not say a word about the yogi government’s “Love Jihad” law

Other provisions

The interior minister meanwhile said on Sunday that organizations involved in conducting such marriages, those who give donations for such marriages and those who receive donations for them, are canceling their registrations.

He said priests, gurus and Maulvis Those who have such marriages are also punished. Advance notification of all such marriages to the district judge is required under the proposed law.

Mishra said some other measures are also being considered because the MP wants to pass the strictest law.

While the Yogi Adityanath government has already passed law, other states ruled by the BJP have such as Haryana, Karnataka, Assam said they would follow suit.

The government of Uttar Pradesh drafted an ordinance on “love jihad” last month, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The MP, who had originally proposed a five-year term for alleged crimes related to love jihad, doubled the sentence to ten years.

In a statement on Monday, the President of the BJP, VD Sharma, claimed that more and more cases of “love jihad” are being reported from Madhya Pradesh as well as from other countries.

“The law proposed by the Chouhan government will keep such elements under control and set an example for other states to follow,” added the BJP leader.

He said everyone enjoys the freedom to marry, but the legislation is aimed at people who marry by adopting false identities, who are misleading and who exert pressure to convert. He went on to say that the term “love jihad” was used by the Kerala High Court.

“Competition shouldn’t dictate the establishment of laws”

Meanwhile, Congress said: “Competition should not dictate the establishment of any law or rule. ”

“A law that results from competition will not succeed. This will not only weaken the law, it will also make it difficult to implement, ”Congress Director Durgesh Sharma told ThePrint.

He said Congress was not against the law, but against its potential to discriminate against and serve politically selfish interests.

Also read: Hindu families seek “justice”, Muslims robbed – the “Love Jihad” law has Bareilly in a frenzy

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