MP assembly nod to anti-conversion bill

BJP MLAs supported the bill and called it a gift for women on the occasion of Women’s Day

Published on: Mar 9, 2021, 01:13:36 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Amid protests by the opposition Congress, the Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly on Monday passed the MP Freedom of Religion Bill 2020 to prohibit forcible religious conversion by way of allurement, fraud, threat or marriage.

Home minister Narottam Mishra tabled the bill in the legislative assembly. (PTI)

Home minister Narottam Mishra tabled the bill in the legislative assembly. Congress leaders opposed the bill and called it a violation of constitutional rights. Now, the bill will be sent to governor Anandiben Patel for approval.

BJP MLAs supported the bill and called it a gift for women on the occasion of Women’s Day. Party MLA Sitasharam Sharma said, “According to a 1956 report, conversions are mostly brought about under influence, misrepresentation, etc, or in other words not by conviction but by various inducements offered for proselytisation in various forms... Congress leaders believe in doing politics and the BJP believes in resolving the root cause of such issues.”

Members of the minority Muslim and Christian communities said they will move court after the notification of the law.

Muslim Vikas Parishad state convener Mahir Khan said, “This bill will be misused by people to target us and we will not keep silent over this. We will move court against it.”

In the assembly, former minister and Congress MLA Govind Singh said, “I opposed this bill because it has been brought to suppress, harass and create a fearful environment for people from a minority...The new bill is a violation of Article 21 and Article 25 of the Constitution of India.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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