Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind to be party to plea against ‘love jihad’ laws

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 17

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, an organisation espousing Islamic causes in India, to become a party to petitions challenging laws passed by some BJP-ruled states to check unlawful religious conversion for inter-faith marriages.

The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind alleged that a large number of Muslims were being harassed under these laws across India.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde also allowed governments of Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to be made parties to the petitions challenging the controversial laws after it was pointed out that the two states have laws similar to those in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand which were already under challenge.

The top court had on January 6 refused to stay provisions of an Uttar Pradesh Ordinance and an Uttarakhand law aimed at checking unlawful religious conversion for inter-faith marriages.

It had issued notice to the two states asking them to respond to petitions filed by Vishal Thakre and others and NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace challenging the controversial UP Ordinance and the Uttarakhand law.

Later, it had refused to transfer to itself the petitions pending in the Allahabad High Court.

The Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Virudh Dharma Samparivartan Pratishedh Adhyadhesh, 2020 (Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020) was promulgated in November last.