Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 4 (ANI): BJP leader Nitesh Rane on Sunday announced plans to meet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to advocate for the implementation of an anti-conversion law in the state.
Rane cited increasing instances of “Love Jihad” and religious conversions as the driving force behind this initiative.
“We will soon meet the CM (Eknath Shinde) and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and urge them to bring an anti-conversion law in Maharashtra amid the rising cases of Love Jihad and conversion here,” Rane said while speaking on ANI.
The statement comes after the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which gives a maximum punishment of life imprisonment in cases of forced or fraudulent conversion. This bill was passed to make the anti-conversion laws in the state more strict. Earlier, the maximum sentence under the act was a 10-year imprisonment term.
As per the Bill, there will be serious penalties, including up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment (i.e., the entire accused person’s life), for any act of threatening, attacking, marrying, promising to marry, conspiring, or trafficking a woman, minor, or anyone else with the intention of converting.
Congress leader Aradhana Mishra clarified that the bill is not a new law but merely an enhancement of existing penalties related to unlawful conversions.
“This bill is not in relation to conversion of any religion. This is not a new law. Only the punishment has been increased,” Mishra said.
Reacting to the bill’s passage, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of politicizing the issue to distract from developmental work.
“What do you expect from them (BJP)? They have to keep politics entangled in this. They are only doing politics because they don’t want to develop,” Yadav remarked. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
HINDI, MARATHI, GUJARATI, TAMIL, TELUGU, BENGALI, KANNADA, ORIYA, PUNJABI, URDU, MALAYALAM
For more details and packages
