After UP Brings Law Against 'Love Jihad', Assam Mulls Law that Requires Couple to State Religion, Income
01-December-2020

Following BJP-ruled states bringing law to curb �love jihad�, Assam government is planning a law that requires the couple to declare their religion and income in official documents a month before tying the knot. The law, which the government claims would �empower sisters�, comes ahead of assembly polls next year.

Speaking on the law, state minister Biswa Sharma said that the law would not be like the ones in Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh, but would be similar to it, a report in NDTV said.

"Assam's law is a not against 'love jihad'. It would be inclusive of all religions and would empower our sisters by bringing transparency...One will have to disclose not only religion, but earning source. Complete family details, education etc. Many a times even in same religion marriage we have found that the girl later finds that the husband is in an illegal business," Sarma reportedly said.

The proposed law requires the couple to provide official details such as income, profession, permanent address and religion in a government form. If a couple fails to do so, legal action would be taken.

"Our law will empower women. It will have the some elements of the law in UP and MP," Mr Sarma reportedly told.

Several BJP ruled states, including Haryana, Karnataka and Bihar, have been mulling of introducing law to check "love jihad".

Earlier the UP cabinet approved the draft of the stringent law to deal with religious conversion for the sake of marriage. CM Yogi Adityanath had earlier asked officials to formulate a strategy and bring in the ordinance to prevent religious conversions in the name of love.