House debates Deep Dive | On Haryana anti-conversion bill: ‘Women property… anybody can start action’ vs ‘No allurement… We won’t allow it’

Former Congress Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda:

“Our (Hindu) daughters are married to Sikhs and their (daughters) are married to ours (Hindus). We are against dowry but still in marriages, daan and dowry are given. For example, after two years, a dispute emerges between husband and wife. She may level dowry allegations adding ‘my religion was converted’. And he will be behind bars. Don’t create such confusion in society… There will be more domestic disputes. Society will stand broken… The issue should be considered in-depth so that no losses (are caused) to society.”

Hooda also suggested that there be a provision that such complaints can only be lodged within a month of a marriage.

To Speaker Gian Chand Gupta’s argument that Hindus and Sikhs were the same, Hooda said that Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Jain were all different religions.

On the ruling BJP-JJP’s numbers in the House, Hooda said: “Majority has its way but minority has its say.”

Congress MLA and former minister Kiran Choudhry:

“This will be a Black Day in the history of Haryana because such a Bill has been tabled in the Assembly. (You) have a majority (in the Assembly), so this (Bill) will be passed. If someone is doing something wrong, we are also against that person. There are already provisions under the IPC for the same. FIRs have been lodged. We are in favour of strict action (on) them. But the way this Bill has been brought, that’s very scary. It will deepen the communal divide in future. This Bill is completely violative of Article 25, which gives the right to profess your own religion, to practise your religion and to propagate your religion… This is complete invasion in the personal domain and the State should never interfere in the personal domain of an individual and in those rights guaranteed to us under the article of the Constitution.”

Pointing to a section of the Bill, Choudhry said, “It’s like that the women have been made property… we are property, we don’t have any right… Anybody can get initiated action against me (a woman), it may be like my parents or siblings.”

Congress MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian:

Kadian said such a law is not in the interest of future generations. He also referred to the displacement of lakhs of people during Partition while urging the government to refer the Bill to a Select Committee for examination. He said there was every possibility of its misuse by police.

FOR:

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar:

“Neither (is) this a matter of Hindu-Sikhs nor of Hindu-Jains… Take the Hindu Marriage Act, what is the definition of Hindu in it? Hindu’s definition is simple, one who is not Christian, Muslim or Parsi.”

To Kiran Choudhry’s argument, Khattar said: “There is no problem in publicity (of a religion) but… cheating, misleading and allurement are banned. We won’t allow it… As many as 100-125 amendments had taken place in the Constitution too because of necessity. There is an Act of IPC which has provisions to check crime and law and order-related issues. But despite that Act, when some particular thing turns serious, the Acts are enacted even for a particular issue too, like the Narcotics Act and an Act for cow protection. There is already a provision for this (against forcible conversion) but the incidents which are taking place during the past some years, we need to make a special Act to check cheating and allurement on the pretext of marriage.”

Khattar added: “Both the laws, the IPC and this Act, are not contrary to each other but have the same sentiments. You say that there is already a law against (forcible conversion), we say if this provision is already existing, then for what are you opposing (the Bill)?”

Bureaucrat-turned-BJP MLA Abhay Yadav:

“Everybody should remain within one’s own limits, no religion should try to eat another religion… The Indian Constitution gives freedom of religion to everyone but this freedom has limitations. There is a clear provision in the Constitution that no religion will interfere in another religion’s domain. This Bill has provision for prevention of unlawful conversion of religion. Still if someone wants to convert the religion, there is a procedure. For that an application has to be submitted to the District Collector, who will conduct an inquiry before (giving) permission for the same.”