Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the state government was thinking about introducing a law to curb "love jihad" but will study similar legislations in other states before taking a decision.

Love jihad is a term used by right-wing activists and outfits to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through marriage. "Many cases have come up of girls getting married and converting. There is demand from all corners to make a law against this. Earlier, I had made an announcement in the House also. Accordingly, study of laws in various states is on and then the decision about it in Maharashtra will be taken,” Fadnavis said.

Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLCs – Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lad – had earlier demanded a law against ‘love jihad’ in Maharashtra on the lines of Uttar Pradesh.?Raising the issue in Maharashtra legislative council, Darekar alleged that Hindu girls are cheated in different parts of the state through the use of fake names and then forced to convert. Later, they are assaulted and deserted.

“Yogi Adityanath has taken a bold decision. The Uttar Pradesh government has brought a law to ban illegal conversions,” he said.