10 years jail for inter-faith marriage in MP, priests to be penalized, says new draft

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said the BJP-led state government will not allow “love jihad”, a term used by right-wing activists to describe relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, but one that courts and the Union government refuse to recognise

Updated on: Nov 26, 2020, 06:38:07 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday doubled the punishment for forced conversions for marriage and bolstered other provisions in its draft bill to regulate interfaith relationships, a day after Uttar Pradesh approved an ordinance outlawing religious conversions by marriage, coercion, deceit or enticement.

State home minister Narottam Mishra said, “We have finalized the draft of Madhya Pradesh Dharm Swatantrey (MP Freedom of Religion Act) on Wednesday. Now the conversion for marriage by force, fraud, lure or instigation will be punishable by a maximum jail term of 10 years. Now, the accused will not get bail within 45 days of their arrest. This offence shall be cognizable and non-bailable.”

The maximum punishment in the earlier version of the bill, which is due to be tabled in assembly in the upcoming winter session beginning on December 28, was five years.

The decision to hike the punishment was taken at a meeting of home and law departments. The maximum punishment in the UP ordinance is also 10 years.

“In the draft, the state government has also added a provision of five years jail term for religious gurus of different religions, who will perform the conversion ceremony. The state government will also cancel the registration of organisation, which will promote the forced mass conversion in the pretext of marriage,” said Mishra.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said the BJP-led state government will not allow “love jihad”, a term used by right-wing activists to describe relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, but one that courts and the Union government refuse to recognise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.