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Haryana passes anti-conversion Bill, Congress stages walkout from Assembly
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is the leader of the Opposition, said existing laws have provision of punishment for forcible conversions and there was no need to bring a fresh legislation for the same.
The Haryana Assembly on Tuesday passed a Bill against forcible religious conversion amid a walkout by Congress legislators.
The Bill that had been introduced on March 4 was taken up for consideration and passage in the Assembly during the day.
The legislation, titled, Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, says there would be a provision for imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than ₹1 lakh if conversion is done by allurement, use of force, fraudulent means or coercion.
According to the Bill, whoever converts or attempts to convert a minor, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than four years, which may extend to 10 years and liable to fine not less than ₹3 lakh. However, the bill introduced earlier this month did not have this provision.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said religious conversion is a major problem. “We have passed the Prevention of Unlawful Conversions Bill. As many as 127 cases were reported in the last four years. Religious conversion is a major problem. If by choice, one can change their religion by law, but act has been passed for unlawful conversions,” Khattar said.
However, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda said existing laws have provision of punishment for forcible conversions and there was no need to bring a fresh legislation for the same.
Congress leader Kiran Choudhary said, "I think this will be a black chapter in Haryana's history… This Bill will deepen the communal divide. This Bill is scary. It can have grave consequences in future... the shape in which this Bill has been brought is what we are objecting to."
Another Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian said, "There is no urgency for bringing this Bill. I feel that this Bill smacks of divisive politics, which is not good". The Congress members later staged a brief walkout from the House.
Similar bills in the recent past have been passed in the BJP-ruled state, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
(With inputs from bureau and agencies)
