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Haryana passes anti-conversion bill, Cong walks out
Congress MLAs led by the leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Tosham MLA, Kiran Choudhry questioned the need of an anti-conversion law
The Haryana government on Tuesday passed its controversial anti-conversion bill in the state assembly amid demands from the opposition to hold back the bill and introduce it to a select committee for more deliberation.
The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, seeks to prohibit religious conversions effected through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage by making it an offence.
Congress MLAs led by the leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Tosham MLA, Kiran Choudhry questioned the need of an anti-conversion law saying there were already provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to take action against forced conversions. Congress members eventually staged a walkout in protest against the passage of the bill.
Earlier chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar pushed for passage of the bill saying it is aimed at curbing forced conversions by instilling fear in the minds of the perpetrators. Khattar said that 127 FIRs for religious conversions were registered in four years, a bulk of them from five districts -- Yamunanagar, Panipat, Gurugram, Palwal and Faridabad.
Khattar stated that a person can change religion of his own free will, but not forcibly or using allurement.
To which Hooda said when FIRs have been registered under the existing laws, there was no need for a new law. Khattar, however, said the anti-conversion law was more stringent.
Congress MLA, Kiran Choudhry said such a law will deepen the social divide and it was violative of the Constitution. “Powers under this law will be misused,’’ she said.
Congress MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian the bill should be sent to the select committee of the assembly.
Pointing out that definition of allurement in the bill also included divine pleasure, Choudhry said: “One practices a faith for attainment of divine pleasure but terming it as an allurement is quite ridiculous.”
“Right to freedom religion is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution. This Bill is an invasion of the personal domain of an individual,” she said.
In the bill presented in the assembly on Tuesday, the government has added a new provision providing for punishment to anyone converting or attempting to convert minors and women and persons belonging to scheduled castes and tribes.
While the statement of objects and reasons of the bill spoke about greater punishment for conversions in respect of minors, women, persons from scheduled castes and tribes, the bill introduced in the assembly on March 4 did not contain any such provision. The omission was highlighted by HT on March 7.
The new provision, brought through a notice of amendment, provides for imprisonment in the range of 4-10 years and a fine of not less than ₹3 lakh for anyone converting or attempting to convert minors, women and persons belonging to scheduled castes and tribes communities.
