"Will urge CM to bring anti-conversion law in Maharashtra": BJP leader Nitesh Rane

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 4 (ANI): BJP leader Nitesh Rane on Sunday announced plans to meet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to advocate for the implementation of an anti-conversion law in the state.
Rane cited increasing instances of "Love Jihad" and religious conversions as the driving force behind this initiative.
"We will soon meet the CM (Eknath Shinde) and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and urge them to bring an anti-conversion law in Maharashtra amid the rising cases of Love Jihad and conversion here," Rane said while speaking on ANI.
The statement comes after the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which gives a maximum punishment of life imprisonment in cases of forced or fraudulent conversion. This bill was passed to make the anti-conversion laws in the state more strict. Earlier, the maximum sentence under the act was a 10-year imprisonment term.
As per the Bill, there will be serious penalties, including up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment (i.e., the entire accused person's life), for any act of threatening, attacking, marrying, promising to marry, conspiring, or trafficking a woman, minor, or anyone else with the intention of converting.
Congress leader Aradhana Mishra clarified that the bill is not a new law but merely an enhancement of existing penalties related to unlawful conversions.
"This bill is not in relation to conversion of any religion. This is not a new law. Only the punishment has been increased," Mishra said.
Reacting to the bill's passage, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of politicizing the issue to distract from developmental work.
"What do you expect from them (BJP)? They have to keep politics entangled in this. They are only doing politics because they don't want to develop," Yadav remarked. (ANI)