The Yogi Adityanath government in Utter Pradesh has set plans in motion to withdraw a scheme that has encouraged interfaith marriages for almost 44 years.
After bringing in the anti-conversion law to check forced religious conversions and counter the growing menace of love jihad, the UP CM now plans to do away with the Inter-caste and Interfaith Marriage Incentive Scheme which was introduced in 1976 and was initiated by the national integration department in Uttar Pradesh.
“In UP, 11 interfaith couples were beneficiaries of the scheme last year and got Rs 50,000 each,” said a government spokesman.
“The scheme will be reconsidered after the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion ordinance. In any case both work at cross purposes,” the spokesman added.
The ordinance, signed by Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday, makes way for punishment for the forced conversions, including those by marriage.
In 2017, when Yogi became CM of UP, the BJP added a caveat to the scheme wherein interfaith couple could not convert after they got married, or they would lose the incentive.
Uttarakhand, another state ruled by the BJP plans to withdraw the same.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Shrikant Sharma said, “The scheme does exist for now. I cannot comment on its continuation. The ordinance means to stop forced conversion and punish those who hide their identity to cheat their partners.”