Madhya Pradesh plans to impose death penalty for forced religious conversion of girls: CM Yadav
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that his government would introduce the death penalty for those involved in the forced religious conversion of girls.
Addressing a government event to mark International Women’s Day in Bhopal on Saturday, Yadav mentioned that the provision of death penalty for the religious conversion of girls will be made along the same lines as the punishment for raping minors, as reported by The Hindu.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader stated that a provision for the death penalty has been made for those who rape daughters, emphasising that they will not spare anyone who rapes girls through force or deceit. “We don’t want to give them a chance to live at any cost. Besides this, a provision for capital punishment is also being made under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act for those who religiously convert [girls],” Yadav was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
The state government issued a statement pertaining to this matter and stated that strict action would be taken against those who “forcefully or by luring people to marry or convert their religion”.
“Chief Minister Dr Yadav said that the government will take the strictest steps against those who misbehave with girls, women and daughters. The culprits will be given death penalty. No culprit will be spared under any circumstances. Religious Freedom Act is in force in Madhya Pradesh to take strict action against those who forcefully or by luring people to marry or convert their religion,” the government statement read.
The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, prohibits unlawful religious conversions through misrepresentation, force, coercion or fraudulent means. The law also stipulates up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 for individuals found guilty of forcing religious conversions.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Arif Masood has raised concerns over Yadav's announcement, urging him to first clarify what he means by forced conversion.
"First, the chief minister should clarify what forced conversion means. Also, there are still missing girls in Bhopal. Recently, a girl from Itkhedi went missing, and her family has been in distress for the past three days. The CM talks about strict action, but he has yet to locate her or the accused. If he takes action in such matters, we will welcome the decision, but otherwise, these are just announcements," Masood told news agency ANI.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
