Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday sought to assuage concerns over the bill against religious conversion proposed by his government, saying that the legislation aims to prevent only those cases in which a person is offered something in exchange of converting to another religion.
“Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism are all religions recognised by the Constitution. Worship and religious practices of people belonging to any religion will not be hindered. The bill is only to prevent religious conversions by inducements. There is no need for people to worry,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader assured, speaking to media a day before the scheduled commencement of the winter session of the Karnataka legislative assembly.
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The legislation is likely to be introduced sometime during the winter session, which will conclude on December 24.
Bommai, meanwhile, further said that religious conversion is ‘not good for society.’ He explained, “The poor and vulnerable should not fall for it. Conversions lead to problems within families and hence this bill is being considered.”
The chief minister also gave examples of other states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, where such laws have already been enacted. Each of the three states, like Karnataka, has a BJP government.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister also gave examples of other states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, where such laws have already been enacted. Each of the three states, like Karnataka, has a BJP government.
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Bommai then claimed that the majority of people in Karnataka, too, want such rules to be brought in. “Therefore, in this background, the law department is studying laws from other states. The draft would then be placed before the state cabinet. If the law department submits the draft, it would be taken up for discussion in the winter session of the legislature,” he remarked.
In April this year, Gujarat became the third state after MP and UP to make a law against what it described as ‘forced religious conversions.’ However, in August, the Gujarat high court ordered an interim stay on the Freedom of Religion Act, 2021.
(With ANI inputs)