Studying anti-conversion laws of other states, says Maharashtra Dy CM Fadnavis

The Maharashtra government may bring in a law against 'love jihad' or an anti conversion law in the state. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that they have not taken a decision on bringing in the law yet but the state is studying laws made by other states like Uttar Pradesh on the issue.

"We have not yet taken any decision, but we have decided to check the laws made by other states (Uttar Pradesh) in this connection,"said Fadnavis on Friday. Fadnavis was responding to questions after Vikas Walkar, the father of Shraddha Walkar met Fadnavis on Friday. Shraddha Walkar was a 27 year old girl from the state who was found brutally killed allegedly by her live-in partner Aftab Poonawala in Delhi early this year.

Vikas Walkar apparently raised the issue of 'love jihad' during his conversation with Fadnavis as well seeking capital punishment for Aftab. Shraddha's father on Friday addressed a press conference after meeting Fadnavis where he spoke of he tried to stop his daughter from going to live with Aftab. Flanked by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya Vikas Walkar said that he had questions on the issue of the freedom of people to take their own decisions after they turned 18 and on the issue of certain apps that do religious conversion.


While Fadnavis has claimed that the state has not yet taken any decision on introducing a law on the love jihad issue, his comments that the government would begun studying the law made by other states is significant. ET had reported earlier about the BJP leaders 'making grounds for a love jihad law' on the lines of that of in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP ruled states. Several BJP leaders have been spearheading a demand for anti conversion law in the state. Earlier BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Amravati Anil Bonde, Independent MP Navneet Rana(who supports the Shinde-BJP government in the state) and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane raised the issue of 'love jihad' and sought for an anti conversion law in the state. The demand has now picked up steam after the Shraddha Walkar case and more and more BJP leaders are clamouring for such a law to be made in the state.