Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has set up a special seven-member committee headed by Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla to frame a law against ‘love jihad’ and fraudulent or forced conversions, according to a government resolution (GR) issued in Mumbai on late Friday evening (February 14), which was Valentine’s Day.

The committee will examine the legal and technical aspects related to instances of ‘love jihad’ and prepare a comprehensive report, which will then be submitted to the state government for further action. No time frame has been given to submit the report.

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The panel will have seven members from various departments, including those from the women and child development, minority development, law and judiciary, social justice and special assistance departments as well as the home department, the GR stated.

The panel will evaluate complaints about ‘love jihad’ and forced religious conversions, examine similar laws enacted in other states, and establish legal frameworks as well as review legal implications. The GR has mentioned complaints from public representatives, organisations and citizens about ‘love jihad’.

“Various organisations in the state and some citizens have submitted representations regarding the need for a law to prevent ‘love jihad’ and fraudulent or forced conversions. Some states in India have enacted laws to prevent ‘love jihad’ and fraudulent or forced conversions,” the GR stated.

However, the move has been criticised by the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and the Samajwadi Party.

“How can someone be converted forcibly? Our Constitution allows us to follow any religion or not follow any religion at all. The Maharashtra government does not have any right to decide who marries whom,” Congress leader Hussain Dalwai said.

Reacting to the GR issued on Friday, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Anand Dubey said, “The BJP has its government at the Centre and in Maharashtra, so it can bring any law it wants. All this is being done by BJP for TRPs to hide its failure.”

Samajwadi Party’s Bhiwandi (East) MLA Rais Shaikh said, “Earlier the government had come up with a proposal after stating that there were more than 1 lakh cases of ‘love jihad’ in Maharashtra, but they were unable to find even a single instance where they could actually file a police case. There is no data available to support any such claim of ‘love jihad’, and I had even raised this issue in the Maharashtra assembly. The government is merely playing politics by using the issue.”