The Maharashtra government will study laws on love jihad framed by other states and take an appropriate decision, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis said at a press conference in the Maharashtra legislature complex on 20 December.

“We have assured (the House) that different states have laws on love jihad and we will study them. Based on it, our government will take an appropriate decision so that no woman or girl suffers by any conspiracy,” Fadnavis said.

“There was a feeling in the House regarding the Shraddha Walkar case that instances of love jihad were seen at a large scale in the state,” he said adding that there is a demand for a tough law on it.

However, Fadnavis added that the state government is not opposed to inter-faith marriages.

But it has been realised over time that there is a design as part of a conspiracy. In some districts such marriages are taking place in big numbers, he further said.

Fadnavis said the inter-faith committee will track and maintain records of inter-faith marriages, married couples, and also their families.

“Shraddha Walkar’s father said we didn’t understand where to go and we could have saved her had someone facilitated a conversation with her. People do not know where to go in such a situation and the panel is (there) for facilitation,” he told the House on 20 December.

Earlier, on 15 December, the Maharashtra government through its Government Resolution (GR) formed a 13-member Interfaith marriage-family coordination committee (state level) headed by Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development (WCD) Department Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha. As per the resolution, the panel will take stock of interfaith marriages that take place after the elopement of couples or are performed at religious places, or are registered or non-registered.