Maha to study ‘love-jihad laws before taking final call: Shinde-Fadnavis govt

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra government will take a final call on the issue of ‘love-jihad’ after a detailed study of the Bills and Acts in other states and emphasised that it is not opposed to inter-religious marriages.

“We shall study (the bills/laws) in other states and then take an appropriate decision in the matter,” Fadnavis told the state legislature.”

Only after a thorough study, the government would decide on either a new act or amendments to existing laws, and the government will consider whatever is good, assured Fadnavis.

Later, talking to the media, he said that the government is not against ‘inter-faith marriages’ as apprehended in some quarters, while replying to queries on the possibility of a ‘love-jihad’ law in the wake of the Shraddha Walkar case, days after her family had met him and demanded justice.

He also announced a probe into the purported delays by the Palghar Police to investigate Shraddha’s complaint and her subsequent withdrawal of that plea.

Fadnavis pointed out that there have been demands and some 40 processions demanded the enactment of a law on these lines.

Last week, the state government had set up a panel to go into ‘inter-faith’ marriages and find out instances where the woman is estranged from her family and provide assistance in such cases.