Religion Bill passed in Uttar Pradesh, opposition parties protest

On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh Laws Against Religious Conversion Prohibition Bill 2021, brought by the Yogi Adityanath government during the budget session in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, was passed on Wednesday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna introduced the Uttar Pradesh Laws Against Religious Conversion Prohibition Bill 2021. Opposing the bill, Congress leader Aradhana Mishra said, “The constitution gives us the right to privacy, marriage is the personal matter of any person and if there is no coercion, it is against the constitution for the state to interfere.” They demanded that it be sent to the Select Committee. Bahujan Samaj Party leader Lalji Verma said that the bill is anti-constitutional. He said that the government should take it back or send it to senior committee for discussion. After passing the assembly, this bill will now go to the Legislative Council. Significantly, before the bill was introduced, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel approved the Ordinance Prohibition of Prohibition of Laws against Uttar Pradesh in November 2020. In this forcibly or fraudulent conversion and getting married can be punished with imprisonment for ten years and a fine of up to 50 thousand rupees in various categories. The Bill provides for imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years and fine for misdemeanor, fraud, seduction or forced conversions for marriage. Under the Bill, such conversion will be brought under the category of crime which is being done for the purpose of deceit, fraud, seduction, coercion or wrongdoing to bring a person from one religion to another by marriage or any fraudulent manner. Provision has been made to place it in the category of non-bailable cognizable offense and to make the case related to it to be considered in the court of first class magistrate.