Updated: December 4, 2020 8:00:15 am
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POLICE STOPPED an interfaith wedding in Lucknow, citing the 2020 Uttar Pradesh Illegal Conversion of Religion Ban Ordinance, after receiving complaints from Hindu groups. Police intervened on the wedding day, despite the consent of the families of the Hindu bride and the Muslim groom.
The wedding was to take place in Lucknow’s Duda colony on Wednesday. While final preparations were underway, a team from the Para police station, which has the Duda colony under its jurisdiction, arrived at the scene and asked the couple to first seek clearance from the Lucknow district magistrate before continuing. ahead.
The wedding would be held in accordance with Hindu rituals, according to police officers. The Para SHO Triloki Singh Police Station said the families of the 22-year-old bride and 24-year-old groom agreed to wait for the district judge’s approval for the marriage.
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“The girl’s family is Hindu, while the boy’s family is Muslim. They were both getting married with the consent of the other and there was no coercion of any kind, ”Singh said. “Some representatives of Hindu Yuva Vahini opposed the wedding, we stopped the wedding and told them that under the new conversion law, you can only get married if you have notified the district magistrate during the specified period of time. We told them that it shouldn’t seem like there is pressure to convert. “
When asked if the bride or groom intended to convert, the SHO said: “That could have been later, but the couple told us they wanted to get married. Muslim youth wanted to become Hindu and marry. They were getting married according to Hindu rituals. “
Lucknow DCP (south) Ravi Kumar said the couple’s families were given a copy of the anti-conversion ordinance and told under which sections they cannot marry until they get permission from the district magistrate.
“Families were informed of the provisions in the presence of their lawyers. They have given in writing that they will ask the district judge for permission and then they will go ahead with the wedding, ”said Kumar.
A police officer said that when they arrived at the wedding venue, preparations for the Hindu ceremony had begun.
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