Committee to be formed to draft law against 'love jihad': Haryana home minister

A committee will be setup to draft a "strict" law against "love jihad", Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday after a meeting with senior officials on the issue.

He also said that Haryana will study the laws made by other states in this regard.

"A strict law will be enacted against 'love jihad' in the state. A committee will be constituted to draft this law," said Vij, who chaired the meeting with senior officials of the home department, according to an official statement issued here.

The home minister, according to the statement, said that "with the enactment of this law, strict action will be taken against any person who is found indulging in religious conversion by pressuring, tempting someone or is involved in any kind of conspiracy or tries to do so in the name of love".

Vij said officials of the home department, the advocate general, among others, will be part of this committee.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home Department) Rajeev Arora, Director General of Police Manoj Yadava, Additional Director General of Police, CID, Alok Mittal, were among the officers present in the meeting.

Earlier this month, Vij had told the Haryana assembly that the state government is considering a law against "love jihad" and has sought information from Himachal Pradesh, which had passed a bill on the issue.

The Himachal Pradesh assembly had last year passed a bill against conversion by force, inducement or through marriages solemnised for the "sole purpose" of adopting a new religion.

"We are mulling bringing a law against 'love jihad' in Haryana," Vij had said while replying to a calling attention notice drawing attention towards the Ballabhgarh Nikita Tomar murder case.

"Anyone can marry anyone, anyone can fall in love with anyone. But if there is a conspiracy of changing religion by trapping someone in love, then it is very important to stop that conspiracy. We will take whatever steps required for it," he had said.

If anyone is instigated for changing religion, it will not be tolerated, Vij had said, claiming that many cases of "love jihad" are surfacing.