Karnataka govt repeals anti-conversion bill introduced by BJP

The Congress government in Karnataka on Thursday decided to scrap the amendments brought to anti-conversion law by the BJP. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the changes made to the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act would be repealed in the upcoming session. He added that the bill brought by the BJP in 2022 will be repealed and the Congress will bring a bill that is in tune with Article 25 of the Indian Constitution. The Bharatiya Janata Party has severely criticised the decision and has said that the move is aimed at appeasement. 

The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act (anti-conversion law) came into effect in 2022, despite opposition from Congress. The act provides for the protection of the right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.

It proposed imprisonment from three to five years with a fine of Rs 25,000, while for violation of provisions with respect to minors, women, SC/ST, the offenders will face imprisonment from three to 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 50,000.

The act also makes provisions for the accused to pay up to Rs 5 lakh as compensation to those who were made to convert, and with regards to cases of mass conversion, there shall be a 3 to 10-year jail term and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.

Reacting to the Congress party's decision to repeal the law, the senior Karnataka BJP leader and former primary and secondary education minister BC Nagesh told Republic that this has been done "only to appease the Muslims and consolidate their votes in the upcoming elections, to please Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi." "They are behaving like owners of Karnataka and Siddaramaiah is anti-Hindu," the BJP leader said. 

(With inputs from PTI)