Indian state says 5 years in jail for ‘forced’ religious conversions by marriage

Lucknow, India - Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh said the move would provide justice to women who have suffered from unlawful conversions.

India’s ruling party approved a decree in the country’s most populous state on Tuesday laying out prison terms for anyone compelling others to convert their faith or luring them into these conversions through marriage, officials said.

“This is just another agenda before the elections. There is nothing like ‘love jihad’ that exists. People can make their own decisions,” she said.