Lucknow: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
The manifesto, released by Union home minister Amit Shah, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, was initially scheduled to be launched on February 6; however, the programme was postponed after the demise of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar earlier that day.
BJP’s manifesto states that a minimum imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh would be imposed on those found guilty of committing ‘love jihad’.
Love Jihad is a term used by some to refer to interfaith marriage between a Muslim man and Hindu girl.
The BJP government last year passed the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.
Under the law, which came into force on November 28, those found guilty of forcibly converting someone would be sentenced to a jail term ranging from one to five years, and a minimum fine of Rs 15,000.
If the person was convicted of converting a minor, the jail term could be extended to 10 years and the fine to Rs 25,000.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shah claimed, “The BJP has fulfilled more than 92 per cent of 212 ‘sankalps’ (promises) made in its 2017 (poll) manifesto.” The saffron party also promised free electricity for irrigation to farmers in the next five years in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra 2022.
