UP moves SC for transfer of pleas against love jihad ordinance

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

The Uttar Pradesh Government has moved the Supreme Court seeking the transfer of petitions from the Allahabad High Court that challenge its ordinance aimed at checking unlawful religious conversion for inter-faith marriages.

The state has invoked Article 139A of the Constitution that empowers the Supreme Court to transfer to itself cases “involving the same or substantially the same questions of law” pending before the Supreme Court and one or more high courts.

The apex 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.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde had, however, issued notice to the two states asking them to respond in four weeks to petitions filed by Vishal Thakre and others and NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace challenging the controversial UP Ordinance and the Uttarakhand law.

Terming the provisions as “oppressive” and “obnoxious” the petitioners alleged that several innocent persons had been arrested on the basis of UP Ordinance against “love jihad”.