Bengal to Bring Laws on 'Love Jihad', 'Land Jihad' and Conversions Within Six Months, Says CM Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said his BJP government will bring stringent laws against what he called “love jihad”, “land jihad” and religious conversions. He said the laws would come after the state implements a Uniform Civil Code, and asked for six months to deliver on the promises. He made the remarks at a public gathering in Kolkata on Sunday.

Adhikari said West Bengal would follow Uttarakhand and Gujarat in implementing the Uniform Civil Code. He also described the sequence of the planned legislation, with the UCC first and the other laws after it, according to PTI.

The Chief Minister also took a swipe at critics of the Centre’s security actions. He alleged that some people stay silent when terrorists single out victims and kill them based on their faith, but take out processions when the Indian Air Force destroys terror infrastructure deep inside enemy territory. He said the state must remain vigilant against such people.

Adhikari listed steps his government has taken since coming to power. These included showering flower petals from a helicopter on Kanwar pilgrims and devotees at Tarapith on Kaushiki Amavasya. Oneindia also reported that he spoke about a Rs 1,000 crore religious tourism project and mass recital events.

Political backdrop

Adhikari has been Chief Minister since May 9, 2026, and is the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal. His party won a landslide in the Assembly election held in April, ending the Trinamool Congress’s long run in the state.

The proposed laws would put Bengal alongside other BJP-ruled states. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has previously said his government will bring a law providing life imprisonment in “love jihad” cases. Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, have already passed anti-conversion laws.

The term and the debate

“Love jihad” is a term used by right-wing activists and organisations to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through marriage. The expression has no definition in Indian law. The Union government told Parliament in 2020 that no such case had been reported by central agencies, though states have since framed their own laws on the subject. Critics say such laws target interfaith couples and minorities, while supporters say they are needed to stop forced and fraudulent conversions.

No draft bill has been made public, and the government has not said what penalties the laws would carry or how “land jihad” would be defined. I did not find a response from the Trinamool Congress, the Congress or the CPI(M) to Sunday’s announcement, and the Chief Minister’s office has not given further details.