Likening the 'Beti Bachao Andolan' to the proposed 'Love Jihad' law, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed on the need of a "strong law with strong punishment to protect the lives of daughters," according to a report by The Hindustan Times.
Speaking at an event, the Chief Minister did not directly mention the law but said, “Many things have opened our eyes. A mother came to me and said how her 14-year-old daughter was misled and taken away. Our police found her in Noorganj near the Nepal border.
"There are many such cases where women and girls have been subjected to coercion, allurement, deception and fraud. I have set up a team to investigate how many of our daughters have been taken away like this and pushed to a life of hell,” he added.
Earlier this month, Chouhan announced that the Madhya Pradesh government will make legal arrangements to curb the alleged practice of 'Love Jihad' in the state.
Madhya Pradesh was the third BJP-ruled state to announce its intention to make legal provisions against forced conversions for marriage, which has been termed as 'Love Jihad' by right-wing activists. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh govt passed an ordinance to make forced conversions for marriage illegal.
Published 11 December 2020, 05:08 IST