Marriage used as conversion tool: UP

Marriage used as conversion tool: UP

Rajesh Kumar Pandey TNN

Prayag raj:27.10.2021

The Uttar Pradesh government has defended its anti-conversion law in its affidavit before the Allahabad high court, stating that “since marriage is being used as an instrument to convert an individual’s religion against his/her will, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 seeks to remedy the malady”.

Following a direction of the high court, the Uttar Pradesh government filed the affidavit in response to a bunch of PILs challenging the Act.

Significantly, while stressing that the community interest will always prevail over the individual interest, the Uttar Pradesh government has added that the law in challenge seeks to protect public interest and maintain public order, and safeguards the interest of the community.

Referring to the cases of a Hindu woman or a man wishing to marry a Muslim man or woman, the affidavit stated: “Even though Hindu woman wishes not to give up her faith, she will have to give up her faith in order to enter into a valid marriage and accept Islam as her faith. This will amount to forceful conversion. The position remains the same if a Hindu boy wants to marry a Muslim girl. Hindu boy will have to accept Islam.”