UP Cabinet decides to introduce Ordinance against unlawful religious conversions: Siddharth Nath Singh

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 24 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on Tuesday informed that the state cabinet has decided to introduce an ordinance against unlawful religious conversions.

"UP Cabinet decides to introduce an ordinance against unlawful religious conversions," Siddharth Nath Singh told ANI.

"There were more than 100 incidents reported in which forceful religious conversion was being done. Also, it was reported religious conversions were going on in the state using deceitful means. So to make a law on this becomes an important matter of policy now," he said adding today the UP Cabinet brought the ordinance which has provision for punishment.

"The ordinance provides for jail term of 1-5 years with Rs 15,000 penalty for forceful religious conversion. For conversions of minors and women of SC/ST community, there will be a jail term of 3-10 years with Rs 25,000 penalty," he said.

"In cases of forced mass religious conversions, the ordinance provides for a jail term of 3-10 years with Rs 50,000 penalty," he said.

"If someone wants to marry and do religious conversion than that person has to inform the district magistrate two months before doing that and there is a prescribed form and if the person gets permission with respect to that then that person can undertake religious conversion along with the marriage," he added.(ANI)