30 July 2024: The Uttar Pradesh government has passed an amendment to its anti-conversion law, significantly increasing the severity of punishments for those found guilty. The legislative assembly, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved the amendments on Tuesday to the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, as per a report by The Times of India.
The revised law, introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna on Monday, now includes life imprisonment for fraudulent or forced conversions. Previously, the maximum penalty was 10 years with a fine of Rs. 50,000.
Under the new provisions, any actions including threats, attacks, marriages, promises of marriage, conspiracies, or trafficking with the intention of conversion will be categorized as severe crimes, carrying penalties ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment. The law also expands the scope of who can file an FIR; previously restricted to the victim or their immediate family, it now allows any individual to report such cases to the police in writing.
Additionally, the amendments state that these cases will only be heard by sessions courts and that bail applications will not be considered without an opportunity for the public prosecutor to respond. All offenses under this act are deemed non-bailable.
This legislative change is part of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s efforts to address what is termed ‘love jihad,’ referring to alleged forcible conversions under the pretext of marriage. The initial ordinance was issued in November 2020, and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 was subsequently enacted after passing through both houses of the state legislature.
