All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday hit out at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states, saying that they are making a mockery of the Constitution through the "Love Jihad" laws. "If BJP governed states want to make a law, then they should make a law for MSP & providing employment," Owaisi added.
He further said that the courts have reiterated that under the Constitution of India, under Article 21, 14 and 25, no government has any role to play in the personal life of any Indian citizen. "BJP is clearly indulging in violating fundamental rights of the Constitution," he said.
"There's no definition of Love-Jihad anywhere in the Constitution. BJP ruled states are making a mockery of the Constitution through Love Jihad laws... If BJP governed states want to make a law, then they should make a law for MSP & providing employment," news agency ANI quoted Owaisi as saying.
"Courts have reiterated that under the constitution of India, under Article 21, 14 & 25, no govt has any role to play in the personal life of any Indian citizen...BJP is clearly indulging in violating fundamental rights of the Constitution," he added.
Owaisi's remark comes on the day when another BJP-ruled state, Madhya Pradesh, cleared an ordinance to deal with "Love Jihad" cases in the state. It has been sent to the Governor for assent. The ordinance was approved during a special Cabinet session which was presided over by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal.
"Provision for the imprisonment of five to 10 years and fine of at least Rs 100,000 is being made for attempting mass religious conversion (of two or more persons)," said MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The Madhya Pradesh government has proposed a maximum punishment of 10 years for "Love Jihad'-related offences, in its new ordinance. With this, the state government has doubled the jail term in its proposed Freedom of Religion Bill 2020. It had earlier proposed a five-year jail term.
Under this new proposed ordinance, there will be a provision of punishment of up to 5 years for a religious leader who has performed religious conversion before submitting an application. The complaint of conversion and forced marriage can be made by the victim, parents, family or guardian.
The Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Bill, 2020 Bill was approved on Saturday and would have been tabled in the upcoming Assembly session but the session has now been cancelled.
The BJP government took the ordinance route much like in Uttar Pradesh to enact the law to check forced religious conversion.
(With ANI inputs)
