Memoranda submitted in 75+ locations across Maharashtra demanding a strict, unbailable law in the upcoming Assembly session
Mumbai – For the past two years, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and other Hindu organisations have been holding ‘Jan Aakrosh Morchas’ across Maharashtra, highlighting the serious issues of love jihad and the rising instances of forced religious conversions. At the time, the government acknowledged the gravity of the problem and promised tough legislation to curb love jihad. Sadly, these incidents have not only continued but have intensified in both frequency and brutality. The time has now come for the government to honour its commitment.
Inspired by similar strong laws already in place in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which impose life imprisonment and make offences non-bailable, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has urged the Maharashtra government to pass a strict anti-love jihad and anti-conversion law in the upcoming session of the Assembly.
Statewide representations submitted
To press home this demand, the Samiti has submitted memoranda to the Hon. Chief Minister and Hon. Home Minister through local district and taluka administrations, as well as via elected representatives, at more than 75 locations across the state. Large numbers of women and pro-Hindu activists gathered in districts including Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Beed, Dharashiv, Buldhana, Akola, Yavatmal, Amravati, Washim, Chandrapur, and Nagpur to submit these representations.
Key demands placed before the government
- Search for missing women: According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, over 178,000 women and girls are missing from Maharashtra. HJS has demanded a special drive to find them and requested that cases involving love jihad be recorded separately.
- Special investigation teams: An anti-love jihad special cell should be established in every district under the leadership of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP).
- Fast-track courts: To ensure swift justice, cases must be resolved within six months through dedicated fast-track courts.
- Investigation of funding: Authorities must conduct a thorough probe into foreign funding, jihadi networks, and human trafficking links, taking strict action against those aiding these activities.
- Mandatory notice period: It should be mandatory for individuals to apply to the District Collector at least 60 days prior to any conversion or inter-faith marriage, followed by a mandatory police inquiry.
HJS has pointed out that states such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh have already enacted laws along these lines to protect women and prevent forced or fraudulent conversions.
Maharashtra, the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has a proud tradition of honouring women as equivalent to mothers. By taking a historic decision in this session to make the state free from love jihad and illegal conversions, the government can uphold this legacy and ensure the safety and dignity of its daughters.
