Bengaluru: Hundreds march against ‘unconstitutional’ Karnataka anti-conversion Bill

The Bill was introduced in the state Legislative Assembly Tuesday during the ongoing Winter Session in Belagavi. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra tabled the Bill while Congress leaders objected to the manner in which it was introduced. The Cabinet had cleared the Bill Monday but no official information was shared about introducing it in the House.

The Wednesday protest was attended by Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado who said, “Now that the contents of the Bill have been read by all, it has been found that it is not only affecting the Christians. It is affecting the larger society. It is a question of privacy, the question of marriage, the question of women, Dalits and Muslims,” Machado said.

“Karnataka is a progressive state in the country and has to give out a message to others that it is open to privacy, dignity and human rights,” he added.

On the provisions of the Bill, the Archbishop said, “Any help or concession provided by any of our Christian institutions working in the fields of education, health, senior citizen care and orphanages, to any member not from the Christian community, can be construed as an inducement for conversion as per the Bill.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, Rajendra, an activist and a part of the protest, said, “It is an absolutely unconstitutional Bill, it is against the fundamental rights of freedom and liberty. The Bill is not only against Christians and other religious minorities, it is against each and every one of us.”

The draft Bill prohibits conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, fraud, allurement or marriage. “No person shall convert or attempt to convert either directly or otherwise any other person from one religion to another by use of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage, nor shall any person abet or conspire for conversions,” it says.

It, however, provides an exemption in the case of a person who “reconverts to his immediate previous religion” as “the same shall not be deemed to be a conversion under this Act”.

Although a debate on the Bill was to be held Wednesday morning, it was postponed and will now be held Thursday morning.