Advertisement

Updated May 12th, 2022 at 12:53 IST

Karnataka: DK Shivakumar slams anti-conversion bill, says it is 'against the Constitution'

Congress' Shivakumar opposed the anti-conversion bill again as CM Bommai said that his government is going to implement the bill through the ordinance route.

Reported by: Vishnu V V
DK Shivakumar
Image: PTI | Image:self
Advertisement

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai made a massive announcement stating that the state Cabinet is, on Thursday, set to discuss the anti-conversion bill. The “Anti-conversion bill will be passed with an ordinance in today's Cabinet meet”, CM Bommai said. Following this, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar slammed the ruling government and said that the opposition will oppose the bill.

CM Basavaraj Bommai has said that his government is going to implement the anti-conversion bill through the ordinance route. Meanwhile, Congress’ DK Shivakumar came forward to slam the move. Speaking to Republic, Shivakumar dubbed the law unconstitutional and said that the ruling BJP government was using it for appeasement politics in the state.

“It is against the law. It is against the Constitution,” the Congress leader said.

Further, Shivakumar went on to slam the CM Bommai-led BJP government over the bill and said that there were no incidents of religious conversions in the state.

“There is no incident of conversion in Karnataka. BJP is playing appeasement politics. We totally oppose the anti-conversion bill,” the Congress leader said.

This comes as the Bommai Cabinet gets ready to approve the ordinance move today (May 12). Earlier, former state chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah had also dismissed the bill calling it a brainchild of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 

Karnataka anti-conversion bill

Earlier in December last year, the Karnataka Assembly had passed the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 with a voice vote. The controversial anti-conversion bill claims to protect individuals from unlawful conversion from one religion to another by "force, misrepresentation, coercion, influence, allurement or by any other fraudulent means".

It also proposes imprisonment of up to 10 years for forced religious conversion. Dubbed as 'anti-people', 'inhuman', 'anti-constitutional', 'anti-poor' and 'draconian' by the Congress-led Opposition, there has been much discussion and arguments around the law.

Despite the Karnataka Legislative Assembly approving the bill in December last year, it is yet to be passed in the Legislative Council, where the ruling BJP falls short of the majority. Earlier in April last year, the Gujarat Assembly had passed the 'Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2021' with a majority, to bring more stringent punishment against forced religious conversions through marriage. Gujarat had become the third state after Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to implement a law against forced religious conversions.

(Image: PTI)

Advertisement

Published May 12th, 2022 at 12:53 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo