In line with its anti-Hindu poll promises, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress govt in Karnataka has announced that it will repeal the anti-conversion law.
The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting and the amendment will be introduced in the Budget session next month. The decision was announced by Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil.
The Congress government has decided to repeal the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, popularly known as the anti-conversion law, which was introduced by the previous BJP govt. It was passed by the assembly in December 2021. Congress had opposed the bill at that time.
What is the Anti-Conversion Law?
The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act “provides for protection of 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 further “prohibits conversion from one religion to another religion by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by promise of marriage.”
Violation of the law was punishable with imprisonment for a term of three years, which could extend to five years, and a fine of ₹25,000. If the conversion involved a minor child or a person of unsound mind or a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the imprisonment term was extended to ten years.
The Congress had staged a walkout from the Assembly when the Bill was passed by the then-govt. It used as many adjectives as available in the English dictionary calling the Bill “anti-people”, “inhuman”, “anti-constitutional”, “anti-poor” and “draconian”.
Several cases were filed in the state under the Act since it was implemented. More than one case was reported every month.
Cases of Conversion in Karnataka
13 October, 2022: 19-year-old girl converted to Islam
The first case of conversion was filed in October last year after the family of a 19-year-old girl alleged that their daughter was forcefully converted to Islam by a 24-year-old Syed Mueen on the promise of marriage.
The accused, who used to run a chicken stall, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
12 December 2022: Pastor and his family convert Dalit family
The Koppal police arrested a pastor and his wife for allegedly forcing a Dalit family to convert to Christianity. Their teenage son, 17, was also booked under POCSO Act for raping the minor daughter of the family.
The victim Dalit family, belonging to the Budgajangam community, later reverted to Hinduism.
24 Semptember, 2022: 12 booked for converting Dalit man to Islam
The Hubballi police filed a case against 12 persons including Nadeem, Iqbal, Rafiq and Shabbir for converting a Dalit man to Islam.
26-year-old Sridhar Gangadhar was forced to undergo circumcision and also forced to consume beef.
Congress heeding demands of Amnesty International?
On 23 May, 2023, the dubious organisation Amnesty International that closed its office in India after multiple agencies started probing against it over allegations of FCRA violation, raised a list of anti-Hindu demands for the Congress govt in Karnataka.
In its demands, it called to remove the hijab ban in schools, allow cow slaughter and take action against Hindus who boycott Muslim shops.
Notably, Karnataka’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Minister K Venkatesh had recently remarked, “What is wrong with slaughtering cows?”
It seems from where its headed that the Siddaramaiah govt might as well meet these demands.
More controversial decisions announced
Revising the state syllabus, the Karnataka govt has decided to remove chapters on RSS founder BK Hedgewar and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.
The revised syllabus will instead include chapters on Jawaharlal Nehru and Ambedkar.
#WATCH | "…syllabus on K. B. Hedgewar has been dropped…whatever changes they (previous govt) have done last year, we have changed it and reintroduced whatever was there last to last year…": Madhu Bangarappa, Karnataka Education minister on textbook syllabus pic.twitter.com/QyfDqZoiwD
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
The Karnataka Cabinet has also made mandatory the reading of the Preamble of the Constitution in schools and colleges.
The State cabinet has decided to make it compulsory to read the Preamble of the Constitution along with the hymn in schools and colleges: Karnataka Minister HK Patil
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
Karnataka Cabinet has also decided to amend the APMC Act in the state to bring back the old law. The revision of… pic.twitter.com/7K1XJXnZL0
