Karnataka assembly passes 'Anti Conversion' bill

Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021", popularly known as the "Anti-conversion Bill" amid uproar and protest by the opposition.

Belagavi: Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday (December 23) passed the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021", popularly known as the "Anti-conversion Bill" amid uproar and protest by the opposition.

As the Karnataka Legislative Assembly began discussing the contentious "anti-conversion bill", the Congress seemed to be on a back foot with the ruling BJP alleging that the proposed legislation was "initiated" by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress administration, and placed documents to support its claim before the House.

Though Siddaramaiah, who is now the Leader of Opposition denied it, later on personally going through the records in the Speaker's office, accepted that as the CM he had then only asked the draft bill in this regard to be placed before the cabinet and no decision was taken in this connection, and hence it cannot be seen or projected as the intention of his government.

Siddaramaiah also said that Congress vehemently opposed the bill, calling it "anti-people", "inhuman", "anti-constitutional", "anti-poor" and "draconian", and urged that it should not be passed for any reason and should be withdrawn by the government.

Explaining the "Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021", Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minster J C Madhuswamy said that the bill's initiation was started by the Law Commission of Karnataka under the advice of the then Congress government in 2016, led by Siddaramaiah, with a couple of changes.

The "Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021", provides for the protection of the right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means. The bill proposes imprisonment from three to five years with a fine of Rs 25,000, while for violation of provisions with respect to minors, women, SC/ST, offenders will face imprisonment from three to 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 50,000.

The bill also makes provisions for the accused to pay up to Rs five lakh as compensation to those who were made to convert, and with regards to cases of mass conversion, the bill proposes 3-10 years jail term and a fine of up to Rs one lakh. It also states that any marriage which has happened for the sole purpose of unlawful conversion or vice-versa by the man of one religion with the woman of another religion, either by converting himself before or after marriage or by converting the woman before or after marriage, shall be declared as null and void by the family court.