Amid War of Words Between BJP-Congress, Anti-Conversion Bill Passed in Karnataka

The Karnataka government claimed the bill was brought by the Congress government in 2016.

Anti-conversion bill.

(Photo: The Quint)

Two days after it got tabled, the anti-conversion bill was passed in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday, 23 December, following a war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and the Congress-led Opposition.

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, JC Madhuswamy, placed on record during the session that the bill was first introduced by the Congress government in 2016.

Refuting the claims, Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that the bill drafted in 2016 was "completely different from what the current state government has drafted in 2021."

Section three of the bill which criminalises "marriage for conversion" was not part of the bill which was brought before him, Siddaramaiah said.

"That draft was never introduced in the cabinet. It wasn't discussed nor was it given consent. The bill was set aside even before it got any attention," Siddaramaiah said, adding, the BJP government's bill assumes that the accused will be considered guilty till proven innocent. "The benefit of the doubt is not given to the accused. The burden of proof rests on the accused," he pointed out.

BJP Defends the Bill

Introducing the bill, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said that it is not meant to hurt any religious sentiments. A few states have already passed such legislation, he said in the Assembly. "We have an MLA (Gulihatti Shekhar) who complained of his mother being converted. The bill is to curtail forced conversion," Jnanendra said.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the bill does not target any community but prevents people from falling prey to forced conversions.

The CM further said that he is pained by the plight of several people who have been victimised by forced conversions.

Former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that the BJP is not against either Christians or Muslims. "This bill is only meant to prevent forceful conversion from one religion to another. The bill should not be opposed for personal gains," he said. People who want to convert out of their own will not be affected by the bill, Yediyurappa added.

Discussion on Ambedkar's Conversion, Gandhi's Take on Conversion

Meanwhile, the Congress' Siddaramaiah said that the bill will target Christians and other religious minorities. The most affected will be Dalits who convert to other religions to escape caste discrimination, he said. Quoting MK Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said that conversions from Hinduism will stop if people are not attacked or discriminated within the religious fold.

From Basavanna to Gautama Buddha and Dr BR Ambedkar, people's right to uphold religious freedom was upheld by all visionaries, Siddaramaiah said.

"This is an inhuman and unconstitutional law," said Siddaramaiah during the session. While there are several issues, including that of the welfare of women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which the government should concentrate on, the BJP government has decided to rake up communal tensions by promulgating the anti-conversion bill, he added.

The Karnataka bill is similar to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh anti-conversion laws, he pointed out.

JD(S) Opposes the Bill

Janata Dal (Secular) too opposed the bill after the session reconvened at 3 pm on Thursday.

Speaking against provision in the Bill which allows monitoring of institutions run by minority communities, former JD(S) Minister Bandeppa Kshempura said, "People go to healthcare institutions run by minority communities to get treatment. They get treatment and go back. How can you assume religious conversion is happening there? Are they going to get converted."

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy had torn the Bill when it was tabled on 21 December.