UP Governor promulgates ordinance on 'Love Jihad': What the law mandates?

Lucknow, Nov 28: The Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday promulgated UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved the draft of a stringent law to deal with religious conversion for the sake of marriage, which BJP leaders refer to as "love jihad".

An official spokesperson said the approval for the ordinance was given at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The UP Cabinet cleared the ordinance on November 24 shortly after the Allahabad High Court upheld the right to freedom of choice of individuals and put down its own earlier order in which it had stated that conversion for the sake of marriage was not acceptable.

What the law mandates:

• Jail term of minimum 1 year up to 5 years, or Rs 15,000 fine (in normal cases)
• Jail term of minimum 3 years and maximum 10 years, and fine of Rs 25,000 (if the girl is a minor or from the SC/ST community)
• Jail term of minimum 3 years up to 10 years, and Rs 50,000 fine (in case of mass religious conversion)