Maharashtra Govt Moves to Enact ‘Love Jihad’ Law, Opposition Raises Concerns

Seven-Member Panel Formed to Draft Law on Forced Religious Conversions in Inter-Faith Marriages

February 15, 2025: The Maharashtra government, led by CM Devendra Fadnavis, has initiated the process of drafting a law against ‘love jihad’ by forming a seven-member panel. The committee, headed by the Director General of Police (DGP), will examine forced religious conversions in inter-faith marriages, analyze existing laws in other states, and recommend a suitable legal framework for Maharashtra.

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📌 What the Government Resolution (GR) States

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✔ Committee Members – Apart from the DGP, the panel includes officials from the women & child development, minority development, law & judiciary, social justice, and home departments.
✔ Key Responsibilities – The committee will evaluate complaints of forced conversions, study legal precedents in other states, and recommend measures to curb ‘love jihad.’
✔ Public Requests Considered – The GR cites demands from representatives and citizens urging legal intervention in such cases.

📢 Opposition Criticism – ‘No Statistical Evidence’

📌 Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh opposed the move, stating that the government lacks statistical evidence to justify such a law.
📌 He highlighted that previous claims of over one lakh cases in Maharashtra could not be substantiated with police reports.
📌 “The government is playing politics over this issue, instead of focusing on real concerns,” Shaikh said.

🔍 Context & Political Implications

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📍 Maharashtra follows states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, which have enacted anti-conversion laws.
📍 In 2023, Fadnavis (then Deputy CM) announced plans to introduce legislation after receiving public and political pressure.
📍 The move has sparked a debate on whether such laws are necessary or politically motivated ahead of upcoming elections.

⚖️ What’s Next?

🔹 The committee will submit its recommendations after reviewing legal frameworks in other states.
🔹 If the law is enacted, Maharashtra will become the latest state to implement restrictions on religious conversions in inter-faith marriages.

Stay tuned for further updates on this controversial legislation.

📌 Tags:

Maharashtra, LoveJihadLaw, DevendraFadnavis, ForcedConversions, InterfaithMarriages, ReligiousConversion, Politics, UttarPradesh, Opposition, Legislation,

Misha Bhatia