To formulate a law against Love Jihad,  Home Minister Narottam Mishra here on Wednesday convened a meeting on the issue, devising a consensus for increasing jail term from proposed five years to ten years to those who are found engaged in love jihad.

Earlier, the Home minister Narottam Mishra while announcing a plan to bring in a bill to check instances of love jihad had said that the provision will have upto five-year jail-term for offenders.

Including from the Muslim community, several quarters of the society in Madhya Pradesh as elsewhere have raise stiff opposition to the proposed legislation but the BJP Government including the Home Ministers, have stood the ground on the matter.

After convening a meeting on the issue at Mantralaya on Wednesday, it was decided that the proposed jail term under the proposed legislation will be increased to ten years. The offenders will now be punished with imprisonment upto five to 10 years.The provisions are part of Freedom of Religion Bill which will be moved in the Cabinet and after a nod, it will be tabled in MP Assembly during the upcoming Winter Session.

With a provision of jail term upto 10 years, the UP Government had on Tuesday cleared a draft ordinance to check ‘unlawful religious conversions’ and ‘inter faith marriages’ intended at changing a girl’s religion. It also has provision of nullifying any marriage if it was intended to alter girl’s religion.

Talking to media persons, the Home Minister said that the draft of the bill is ready and will be moved in the Cabinet meeting shortly.

The draft has provision of jail term upto five years to those who solemnise such marriages and the organisations concerned facilitating such marriages will be subjected to cancelation of registration. Inter-faith marriages have to be seeking permission from the collector one month prior to the marriage.

Parents having grievances could lodge police complaints against organisations engaged in conversions. Those aiding and abetting such marriages will also be subjected to penal provisions. The draft was finalised in a joint meeting of Law and Home department on Wednesday.