Opposition parties in UP to fight against new ‘love jihad’ law

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh are opposed to the harassment of people in the state in the name of ‘love jihad’ by the Yogi Government.

As many as seven cases have been filed since November 29 when UP Governor approved the ordinance brought by the Yogi Government. Several marriages have been stopped on the pretext of violation of law and in some cases the groom and other members of the baraat were arrested.

Shocked by these incidents, the opposition parties made it clear that they would fight for innocent people being harassed in the name of ‘love jihad’.

All opposition parties are united to oppose ‘UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020’.

UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lalloo has criticised UP government for bringing laws in the name of love jihad to harass innocent persons.

Veteran Congress leader and member of CWC Pramod Tewari said that UP government was trying to create an atmosphere to make ‘love jihad’ a political issue through this ordinance. Tewari said that Yogi had failed to stop sexual crimes against women in the state and demanded that strong measures should be taken in this direction.

Tewari further said that there were already laws to prevent forcible conversion of religion and government had failed to implement them. The Congress leader said his party would oppose the ordinance in UP legislature as well as on streets.

Similarly, Samajwadi Party national president Akhliesh Yadav said his party was against laws made in the name of ‘love jihad’. He said while on one hand the state government was giving an award of Rs 50,000 to promote inter-caste and inter-religion marriages and on the hand it had brought a law to stop such marriages.

Akhilesh also promised to oppose and fight UP’s hate laws in UP legislature as well as on streets. He said his party workers would also spread the message against harassment through such laws.

Significantly enough, national president of BSP Mayawati also asked UP government to reconsider its decision to bring such laws. She said that the ordinance regarding religious conversion in the name of ‘love jihad’ was full of contradictions. She further said that forceful and deceitful religious conversion was not acceptable.

Mayawati said that there were already laws in the country regarding the issue and government should reconsider the decision on the new law.

It would be worth mentioning that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had made ‘love jihad’ as a major issue in his campaign for by-elections for assembly seats in UP and other states.

Within a few hours of the Governor giving her approval to the ordinance, the first FIR was lodged against a Muslim youth for allegedly kidnapping a Hindu girl on the basis of a complaint filed by the girl's father. Since then, six more cases have been filed under the new law. Similarly, some marriages have been stopped midway.

Under these circumstances, it is to be seen as to how opposition parties hit the streets and fight Yogi government in UP legislature in future.

There is no doubt that ‘love jihad’ and harassment of people would be one of the issues for opposition in the next assembly elections in the state.

IPA