Interviewtimes 
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on the constitutional validity of the law passed in the name of love jihad. Recently, governments in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, have enacted laws to prevent conversion. So it was challenged in the Supreme Court.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobade heard the appeal today. During the hearing, the Supreme Court refused to uphold the provisions of the law. The bench then sought answers from the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments. The petitioner said similar laws would apply in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
An NGO, including lawyer Vishal Thackeray, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018.
The petitioner said that under the law, the administration was persecuting certain groups. Bringing people out of the basement. So the Supreme Court needs to ban it immediately. The bench, however, sent notice to the two states and asked them to file a reply within four weeks. However, Justice Bobade argued that the petitioner could not be barred from the state government without hearing from the state government.
Notably, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have taken such measures to prevent forced marriages and forced conversions. The law provides that if anyone violates the law, a criminal case will be filed in their name.
Forcible conversion in UP is a punishable offense. Anyone involved in the case will face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 25,000 . Similarly, religious marriages will also be declared invalid.
If a SC / ST woman is forcibly converted, she faces up to three to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 25,000. Up to 3 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50,000 will be imposed for community or mass conversion. Similarly, the organization’s license will also be revoked.
If someone wants to change their religion for the sake of going out, they have to give a notice to the district magistrate two months in advance. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to Rs 10,000 and imprisonment for between six months and three years.
