New Delhi: The newly launched Bharatiya Janata Party manifesto for upcoming assembly elections in UP promises stringent action against those involved in "love jihad" if the party returns to power. The proposed punishment is a minimum of 10 years in jail and a fine of ₹1 lakh according to the manifesto.
The manifesto, dubbed 'Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra', had been postponed as a mark of respect to iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died Sunday at the age of 92.
Launched today by Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the manifesto also promises two free LPG cylinders (one each on Holi and Diwali) under the Ujjwala Yojana scheme, free public transport travel for women over 60, and free two-wheelers for female college students.
The ruling BJP government in Uttar Pradesh last year passed the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020. Under the law, which came into effect on November 28, offenders found guilty of converting someone would be given a jail term of one to five years, along with a minimum fine of ₹15,000.
In case, the person who has been converted is a minor, the guilty would face imprisonment for three to 10 years, and a fine of ₹25,000.
Amit Shah made jabs at the Samajwadi Party in UP over Akhilesh Yadav's statements on the vaccine at the beginning of the pandemic as well as alleging that under the SP, Uttar Pradesh had been a "riot prone" state.
"A few days ago Akhilesh Yadav waved our 2017 sankalp patra (the BJP's 2017 election manifesto) and asked what we did... I can say with pride that 92% of our 212 pledges have been fulfilled..." Shah declared in Lucknow today. He also recalled that Yadav had said that he did not trust the "BJP vaccine" but then got it anyway, and remarked that if people ahd listened to him then the Covid death rate in UP would be much higher.
Western UP is due to go to polls in a matter of days on February 10, as UP gears for its seven phase assembly election.