Assam Law Against Cheating To Marry To Be "Equal For Hindus And Muslims"

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the state government will soon bring a law to check the menace of men marrying women by concealing their religious identity and other information and added that it will be "equal for Hindus and Muslims".

Stating that even a Hindu man should not marry a Hindu woman by concealing information about him, the Chief Minister said he does not want to use the term "Love Jihad".

"Love Jihad" is a term used by right-wing groups to target relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, which, they say, is a ruse to forcibly convert the women.

The BJP government had, in its manifesto for the Assembly polls held this year, promised to bring a law against 'Love Jihad'. Under the section, "Protection of Civilisation in Assam", the manifesto stated, "We will formulate appropriate laws and policies to tackle and end the menace of 'Love Jihad' and 'Land Jihad' in Assam," the manifesto had said.

Speaking to reporters in Guwahati today, Mr Sarma said, "We had mentioned it in our election manifesto. Our government is just two months old. First, we will bring the cow protection law, next month we will notify the two-child norm and later we will bring it."

"We don't want to use the term 'Love Jihad' since we feel even a Hindu should not cheat a Hindu. It is not like, when a Muslim cheats a Hindu, it is 'Love Jihad'. According to me, it is also a 'Jihad' when a Hindu man marries a Hindu woman by cheating and misleading her," he said in Assamese, adding, "Therefore, I don't believe in words like Jihad etc. We want to bring a law to stop cheating to get married."

"We will bring a law, but it would not be like it will be against only Muslims. Our law will be equal in case of Hindus and Muslims," the Chief Minister said.