Karnataka Cabinet approves Anti-Conversion Bill; will be tabled on Tuesday
The Karnataka Cabinet has cleared the much-debated Anti Conversion Bill which prohibits conversion from one religion to another by misinterpretation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or marriage.
The Basavaraj Bommai led government in Karnataka cleared the ‘Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021’, in the cabinet on Monday. This proposed law is aimed at penalizing people who convert by fraudulent means or by marriage.
The law makes religious conversion a non-bailable offense that can invite 10 years of imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 1 lakh for ‘forced’ conversion
Karnataka Home Minister had confirmed earlier that the government will bring a clause to existing Article 25 of the Constitution which permits for a person to choose a particular religion, however, it lacked any clause to punish those involved in illegal religious conversion.
According to the Prohibition of Conversion Bill, no person or community can be forcibly converted. If the person is to be converted or held, the application must be made 2 months before the competent authority. The process of conversion is not confidential to safeguard the privacy of a person who wishes to become a convert and a religious right.
According to sources, the bill is most likely to be tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday.
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This move by the Karnataka govt must be welcomed by all followers of Sanathan dharam followers. we do not take control of our temples and priests are not paid well and temples do not have resources to help poor people. we must stop temple money from rich temples going to help non hindus. Poor villages have become targets for missionaries. They first buy a vacant land and start sarva dharam prayer hall. Then they pick up poor families and find out what they need to survive. This is the way one family gets converted with money and food and this family will bring other families. Vatican agents in India are writing rotten stories about Hindu atrocities on poor missionaries and converted Christians that gets publicized by NY times and Washington post etc. we must take action against writers who are deliberately writing reports with lies to defame our mother land