India: Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (.)
India: Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020: A Weapon to Wreck Havoc on the Innocent | Neha Dabhade
(Secular Perspective December 16-31, 2020)
The state of Uttar Pradesh is in the grips of the draconian law called Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020. This ordinance is essentially based on the conspiracy theory of the Hindu nationalists that Hindu women are seduced or lured by Muslim men in order to covert them to Islam under the pretext of marriage. While the claim is not supported by even a shred of evidence in terms of official data about such conversions, the UP government has been relentless in its propagation of falsehood. The ordinance attracts imprisonment of upto 10 years and is a non-bailable offence. Under the ordinance, any inter-faith couple has to apply to the District Magistrate two months prior to marriage in case