In reaction to the Uttar Pradesh government order that prescribes up to 10 years in prison for those guilty of religious conversions through marriage, coercion, deception or seduction, Moradabad Samajwadi Party (SP) deputy ST Hasan advised Muslim children to they would regard Hindu girls as their ‘sisters’.
“Consider all Hindu girls as your sisters. Save yourself, don’t give in to any temptation, ”Hasan said, adding that Love Jihad was nothing more than a political stunt.
Read also: UP turns ‘love jihad’ into a punishable offense
“Love jihad is a political stunt. In our country, people choose their life partners regardless of their religion. Hindus marry Muslims and vice versa. However, the numbers are very low. But if you dig deeper into the cases of ‘love jihad’, you will find that girls know that boys are Muslims. But due to social pressure or internal problems in the family, they lie and it becomes a case of Love Jihad, ”he said.
Read also: Haryana’s ‘love jihad’ panel will study what other states did, says Anil Vij
The deputy was reacting to Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet approval to draft an ordinance prohibiting religious conversions by marriage and deception. Cabinet approval makes UP the first state to propose a law to regulate interreligious relations.
The order from the state government came on November 24, about a month after Yogi vowed to end ‘love jihad’, a term used by right-wing activists to describe the marital relations between Muslim men and Hindu women. However, the courts and the Union government do not officially recognize the term.
.
