Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij sets up 3-member drafting committee to frame law on love jihad

Chandigarh, Nov 26: Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said the state government has set up a three-member committee to draft a law against "love jihad", a term used by BJP leaders to describe religious conversions in the guise of marriage.

The minister's statement comes days after the Uttar Pradesh government cleared a draft ordinance against conversion through force or fraudulent means. But even before the UP ordinance was cleared, Vij had announced that a committee was being set up in Haryana to frame a new law.

The Haryana committee will also study laws enacted by other states on the issue, Vij said. He tweeted that the "drafting committee formed to frame law on love jihad" in Haryana will be made up of state Home Secretary TL Satyaprakash, Additional Director General of Police Navdeep Singh Virk and Additional Advocate General Deepak Manchanda.

Earlier this month, Vij had told the Haryana Assembly that the state government is considering a law against "love jihad" and has sought information from Himachal Pradesh.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly had passed a bill last year against conversion by force, inducement or through a marriage solemnised for the "sole purpose" of adopting a new religion. The minister was then replying to a calling attention motion in the House on the murder of a young woman in Ballabhgarh.

"Anyone can marry anyone, anyone can fall in love with anyone. But if there is a conspiracy for changing religion by trapping someone in love, then it is very important to stop that conspiracy. We will take whatever steps are required," he had said.

Recently, he also praised the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for approving a draft ordinance to deal with religious conversion for the sake of marriage, which could land violators in jail for up to 10 years if the woman is a minor.

Vij has also told reporters earlier that with the enactment of the Haryana law, strict action will be taken against anyone indulging in religious conversion through pressure, by luring someone or in the name of love.