Maharashtra To Bring Law Against 'Love Jihad', Forms 7-Member Panel To Assess Legislation | News18

The state government’s main aim behind the decision, according to a government officer, is “to control Hindu girls getting married to Muslim men”. Love jihad is a controversial term used by Hindu nationalists who believe that Muslim men are luring Hindu women to marry them and convert them to Islam in a bid to take over the country.

According to a government resolution (GR) issued on Friday, which was also Valentine’s Day, the decision to set up the committee was taken after many serving and former elected representatives raised concerns about supposed instances of love jihad, inter-religious marriages and forced conversions. The committee will study similar laws enacted by other states and prepare a draft of such a legislation. It will also suggest measures to tackle the issue, said the GR.

Apart from Shukla, the committee will have six other members, including the secretaries of four state government departments — women and child welfare, law and judiciary, minority welfare, and social justice — and two other officers from the home and law departments. The GR does not mention any deadline for the committee to submit its report.