Anti-Love Jihad Law: The Gujarat High Court on Thursday stayed the implementation of certain sections of the state’s new anti-conversion law on inter-religious marriages.
A bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav said an interim order has been passed to save people from unnecessary trouble.
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The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, which penalizes those involved in religious conversions made by use of force or deceit through marriage, was notified by the state government on June 15.
The Gujarat branch of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, in a petition filed last month, said certain amended sections of the law are unconstitutional.
Chief Justice Vikram Nath on Thursday said, “We are of the opinion that Sections 3, 4, 4A to Section 4C, 5, 6 and 6A will not be invoked unless further hearing is pending, if A person of one religion marries a person. Without force, without any inducement or use of fraudulent means by another religion, then such marriages cannot be called marriages with the intention of illegal conversion”.
“This interim order has been issued to avoid unnecessary trouble to the parties in inter-religious marriages,” he said. Notably, BJP-ruled states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam have passed or announced similar legislation.
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