In order to prevent women from being trapped and harassed, Nitesh Rane advocates for anti-conversion legislation in Maharashtra

To prevent women from being trapped and harassed, BJP lawmaker Nitish Rane has urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to pass an anti-conversion law modelled after the one in Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that the law could be drafted along the lines of those in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

 

"Now that Maharashtra is under the rule of the Bhagwadharis. It is time for us to implement an anti-conversion law similar to those in Gujarat, UP, and MP. We must defend defenceless women who are being harassed and trapped! Soon, let's start. The tweet read, "Jai Shree Ram".

 

According to UP law, those found guilty may face up to 10 years in prison, depending on the seriousness of the crime. Fines can be as high as Rs. 50,000. Interfaith couples must give the District Magistrate two months' notice before their wedding. Forcible conversions are punishable by one to five years in prison and a minimum fine of Rs 15,000, while minors and women from the SC/ST community are subject to three to ten years in prison. Three to ten years in prison and a fine of Rs 50,000 are the penalties for coercive mass conversions.

 

The anti-conversion law, which went into effect in Karnataka in May, also calls for a fine of Rs 25,000 and a sentence of three to five years in prison. The penalties for violating the laws protecting minors, women, and SC and STs range from three to ten years in prison and a minimum fine of Rs 50,000. Mass conversion offences will result in a three- to a ten-year prison sentence and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. Additionally, it states that the family court will deem any marriage that was solely intended to be an unauthorised conversion null and void. The ordinance's offence will be both cognizable and non-bailable.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @TV9Marathi