Amid the ongoing controversy over The Kerala Story movie, the Uttar Pradesh government has released figures regarding the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act which came into effect from November 27, 2020. The government said 427 conversion-related cases were reported between January 1, 2021, and April 30, 2023. In this, more than 833 arrests had been made between January 1, 2021 to April 30, 2023. “In 185 cases, the victims have even confessed before the court that they were forcibly converted. Simultaneously, 65 cases of conversion of minors have been registered so far,” reads a State government press release.
The Bareilly zone reported a maximum of 86 cases, while 59 cases were registered in Gorakhpur, 53 in Lucknow, 47 in Meerut, 46 in Prayagraj, and 39 in Varanasi. Also, 137 arrests were made in Bareilly, 124 in Lucknow, 101 in Varanasi, 81 in Gorakhpur, 65 in Meerut, 37 in the Agra zone and 21 in Kanpur. The Kerala Story, a controversial film whose plot is based on the religious conversion of Hindu women in Kerala and their subsequent involvement in terrorist activities by joining the Islamic State (IS), has been declared ‘tax-free’ in Uttar Pradesh with the whole State Cabinet set to watch the movie on May 12. Critics have called the movie a ‘propaganda’ aimed at promoting the love jihad conspiracy theory, and the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
Love jihad
Uttar Pradesh’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act is also aimed at tackling alleged love jihad theory and “unlawful religious conversions”. As per the law, a marriage shall be declared “null and void” if it is found that the sole intention of the wedding was to convert the woman. The guilty person can get a jail term up to 10 years with fines ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹50,000. The Act says interfaith couples who wish to get married must inform the concerned district magistrate two months in advance.
