Okay with anti-conversion bill, but not term 'love jihad': Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala
Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala said his party JJP will support a bill against forceful conversions but not if the legislation uses terms like 'love jihad'.
With the anti-forceful conversion bill is set to be tabled in the Haryana assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday aired his disagreement with the term 'love jihad'.
Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janta Party is an ally of the ruling BJP in Haryana.
Speaking to the media about the bill in Panchkula, Dushyant Chautala said, "If the law is made to check forceful religious conversions, our party (JJP) will definitely support it. If the law will be presented with a specific term like 'love jihad', then we will have to discuss it."
He also said that his party's MLAs will have to have a discussion if the law mentions any "caste-specific words".
If the law will be to check on forceful religious conversions, our party will definitely support it. If the law will be presented with a specific term like 'love jihad', then we will discuss it: Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala pic.twitter.com/6BlzdQzOrE— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2021
Earlier in the day, Dushyant Chautala told a news network that he doesn't "agree" with the term 'love jihad'.
"I don't agree with this term called 'love jihad'. We will get a law specifically for checking forceful religious conversion and we will support it. If anybody converts willingly or marries to a partner of another faith, then there is no bar," he said.
Rightwing activists use the term 'love jihad' to refer to alleged attempts to convert Hindu women to Islam in the guise of marriage.
The Haryana government is set to bring in a bill against religious conversions through force or fraudulent means and another one to recover damages to public and private properties from rioters and protesters in the state in the upcoming budget session of the Assembly.
In November last year, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij had announced the setting up of a three-member committee to draft a law against 'love jihad'.
The announcement had come days after the Uttar Pradesh government cleared a draft ordinance against conversion through force or fraudulent means. A similar bill has also been recently tabled in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
In 2019, The Himachal Pradesh Assembly had passed a bill against conversion by force, inducement or through a marriage solemnised for the "sole purpose" of adopting a new religion.