Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that his government will enact a strict law to curb ‘Love Jihad’ while addressing a gathering on Saturday, 31 October.
In a video recorded by ANI, the UP CM can also be seen issuing a death threat to those who ‘conceal their identity’ and ‘play with the honour of our sisters and daughters’.
“The Allahabad High Court said that religious conversion isn’t necessary for marriage. The government will also work to curb ‘Love Jihad’, we’ll enact a strict law. I warn those who conceal their identity and play with the honour of our sisters and daughters, if you don’t mend your ways, your ‘Ram naam satya’ journey will begin.”Yogi Adityanath, UP CM
What Did Allahabad HC Say?
The UP CM’s remark comes after the Allahabad High Court on Friday, 30 October, rejected a writ petition by a married couple seeking police protection, Live Law reported.
The court had observed that the girl was a Muslim and converted to Hinduism just a month before she got married.
Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi said that it clearly reveals that the conversion took place only for the purpose of marriage.
Justice Tripathi also cited a 2014 judgment in which the same court observed that conversion just for the purpose of marriage is unacceptable, Live Law reported. The court said that it was not inclined to interfere in the matter under Article 226 of the Constitution, which enables a High Court to grant a writ petition.
In its 2014 judgment, the Allahabad HC had dismissed a batch of writ petitions filed by a couple seeking protection. The woman had converted from Hinduism to Islam and then performed Nikah.
Reiterating the Supreme Court's stand in the case of Lily Thomas v. Union of India, the court observed: “Conversion by an individual to Islam can be said to be bona fide if 'he/she is major and of sound mind and embraces Islam by his/her own free will and because of his/her faith and belief in the oneness of God [Allah] and prophetic character of Mohammed'.”
The court had further stated: “If a conversion is not inspired by religion feeling and undergone for its own sake, but is resorted merely with the object of creating a ground for some claim of right... the conversion shall not be bona fide,” Live Law reported.
‘A CM Threatening Murder’: Twitter Fumes
Following Adityanath’s remarks, many on social media condemned the sitting CM for issuing “death threats”.
(With inputs from Live Law)
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