Guj govt to move SC against HC ruling on 'love jihad' law

Gandhinagar, Aug 26 With the Gujarat High Court on Thursday refusing to lift its stay on certain sections of the Gujarat Freedom Of Religion (Amendment) Act 2021, the state government on Thursday decided to challenge its order in the apex court.

Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said: "We are moving forward with our steadfast resolve to protect all our sisters-daughters, including Hindus in Gujarat... With good intentions of curbing false marriages carried out of breach of trust by assuming false Hindu names, Hindu symbols, allurement, trapping sisters and daughters, we had this Gujarat Freedom Of Religion (Amendment) Bill passed in the state Assembly."

"... when the state government tried to secure our sisters and daughters through getting this law passed in the state Assembly, some opposing elements by misinterpreting the law, filed petition in Gujarat High Court, whereby the Court had stayed certain sections of the law."

"We had submitted a rectification application to the HC to rectify its stay order on certain sections, which the HC on Thursday rejected. We will challenge this stay by the Gujarat HC in the Supreme Court," he added.

The Gujarat High Court had, last week, stayed the operation of certain provisions related to marriages of interfaith couples in the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act. On Thursday, it rejected the government plea to relook at its verdict.

A bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav, in its order, said: "We don't find any reason to make any changes in the order passed by us on August 19 (putting an interim stay on certain provisions of the Gujarat Freedom Of Religion Act)..."