India, March 11 -- The Maharashtra cabinet last week cleared a draft anti-conversion bill, which makes it mandatory to seek permission from a competent authority before converting to another religion. Activists allege the bill violates constitutional rights, targets interfaith marriages, and burdens converts with proving innocence. Advocate Lara Jesani from the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), who has represented many interfaith couples, spoke to Jyoti Punwani about these concerns. Edited excerpts:

Why are you opposed to a bill which is supposed to be against forcible and fraudulent conversions?

This Anti-Conversion Bill was preceded by a vitriolic campaign against minorities, including propaganda about alleged cases of "love ...