While UP Brings Law Against Interfaith Marriages, Odisha Incentivises Inter-caste Unions

In a move that may further impede religious harmony, Uttar Pradesh has decided to bring a strict law to regulate inter-faith marriages.

UP chief minister Ajay Bisht said that his government is planning to introduce a law to regulate interfaith marriages involving Hindu women and Muslim men. He cited a high court order to promise that his government would protect the women in the state.

On the other hand, the Odisha government recently launched a portal to promote inter-caste marriages. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also announced an incentive hike of Rs 1.5 lakh, from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, and said that such marriages can help bring about social harmony in society.

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In his speech, Adityanath cited an Allahabad high court order, passed on October 30, where a single-judge bench held that religious conversion solely for the purpose of marriage is not valid under law.

The Allahabad High Court recently observed that conversion ¡°just for the purpose of marriage¡± is unacceptable.

¡°The Allahabad high court has said that for marriages, changing religion isn¡¯t necessary. The government too has decided to check ¡®love jihad¡¯ with all its might. An effective law would be made that would ensure that those who cheat gullible women by hiding their identity would be effectively dealt with,¡± the CM said.

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The CM added that "if they (people) don't mend their ways, they would have to set out on a ¡®Ram naam satya hai¡¯ journey."

¡°Many of our sisters and daughters became victims of 'love jihad'. They were deceived by people using forged names and identity," he pointed out.