Police intervened and prevented an interfaith wedding ceremony from taking place in Lucknow on Wednesday night despite the couple’s families consenting to the solemnization and asking them to follow due process for such a marriage.
The incident took place in the DUDA colony in the Pará town of Lucknow, where a Hindu woman was preparing to marry a Muslim groom with the consent of their families. According to the information, the police asked the families to follow the rules for interfaith marriage under the Special Marriage Law, after which the families decided to postpone the ceremony. The couple was also informed about the new ordinance against forced and dishonest religious conversions.
The additional deputy police commissioner (south), Suresh Chandra Rawat, said: “The police received information about the interfaith marriage and, upon arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the marriage was being solemnized with the consent of both families. families to follow due process for interfaith marriage, and were also informed about the new ordinance to control religious conversions by force, seduction, etc. “
Rawat said the couple can marry without changing their religion under the Special Marriage Law, however, if they want to convert, they will need to deliver a statement at least 60 days in advance to the district magistrate or additional magistrate.
UP Governor Anandi Ben passed the Prohibition Ordinance of the 2020 Anti-Religious Conversion Act on Saturday. Under the ordinance, a provision of severe punishment of up to 10 years is established if someone is found guilty of forcibly converting. to another person. It says that if only the woman’s religion is changed for marriage, not only will that marriage be declared invalid, but those who help in the conversion can also face a jail term of up to 10 years. The ordinance further establishes that lying, greed or any other fraudulent form or conversion to marriage will be a non-bail offense.
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