UP law panel submits report to CM to check forcible religious conversion

The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission on Thursday submitted a report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, recommending a new law to check forcible religious conversions.

Speaking to ANI, Commission chief Justice Aditya Nath Mittal said the proposed measures are intended to stop forcible religious conversions and do not bar anyone to opt for another religion on their own.

"Indian Constitution has given freedom to exercise religion, but some agencies are misusing this freedom. They lure people into converting religion in the pretext of marriage, better jobs and lifestyle," he said.

The commission referred to laws of several other states including Chhhatitigarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on the matter. "After studying, we felt that UP should also frame a law on it," Justice Mittal said.

According to the suggested measures, a person will be jailed for three years if they forced anyone to change their religion.

The punishment increases to seven years, Justice Mittal said, if the converted person is found to be under 18 years age or belongs to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.

The new report recommends a provision to mandate the person who wanted to convert to inform about their decision to District Magistrate (DM) a month prior to the formal conversion.

According to Justice Mittal, the priest who has to perform rituals for the conversion will also have to intimate the DM.

After the conversion, the convertee will have to once again inform the DM in detail about his past and present religions, he said.